OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is expected to meet with her new British counterpart for the first time since the Labour Party took power in the United Kingdom last week.

Joly is in London for her meeting with David Lammy, who was recently appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.

The massive shift in the political landscape in Britain last week saw the Conservative government ousted after 14 years in power.

The change has revived some hopes in Canada for a free-trade deal with the U.K., and Joly’s office expects her conversation with Lammy to include ways to “deepen bilateral relations” between the countries.

The two also plan to exchange views on transatlantic security, support for Ukraine and the war in the Middle East.

Joly is then expected to join Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the NATO leaders’ summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press