{"text":[[{"start":5.55,"text":"The writer is president and CEO of the Center for American Progress and a former adviser to President Joe Biden"}],[{"start":13.05,"text":"When Andy Burnham secured a decisive by-election victory over Reform UK, he did more than just seal his path to No 10 Downing Street — he showed that the Labour Party can beat the populist right. But once he becomes prime minister, Burnham will face an even tougher test, this time on the foreign policy front: resetting a damaged relationship with the US."}],[{"start":37.55,"text":"In his second term, President Donald Trump has treated the UK as a subordinate to be bullied rather than an ally to be respected. He has threatened punishing tariffs on British goods and warned Sir Keir Starmer’s government to “be careful” over the digital services tax. After the White House demanded access to British military bases for Trump’s disastrous war in Iran, Starmer capitulated — despite having initially denied the request. When Trump dropped his papers at a meeting of the G7 and Starmer scurried to pick them up, we were presented with a perfect visual distillation of the nature of their relationship. "}],[{"start":76.55,"text":"But Trump’s bullying does not sit well with the British public. A recent poll found that 85 per cent of Britons hold an unfavourable opinion of him. Starmer’s obeisant posture towards Trump no doubt contributed to the sense that he was a weak premier."}],[{"start":91.6,"text":"Voters around the world expect leaders to stand up for them and that means not wavering or kowtowing. There is no better example of this approach than Prime Minister Mark Carney in Canada. Despite the fact that Canada relies on the US economy more than any other country, Carney has struck a defiant tone in response to Trump’s economic and territorial threats. Negotiating with a hegemon and competing with other nations to see who can be the most accommodating to Trump “is not sovereignty”, Carney said in his speech at Davos in January. “It’s the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination.” "}],[{"start":127.25,"text":"In the weeks following that address, Carney’s approval rating shot up to 60 per cent. The Canadian premier has grown in stature at home and abroad by taking on the US president."}],[{"start":138.15,"text":"In the US, governors such as Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker are similarly prospering by confronting Trump. In California, Newsom spearheaded a redistricting campaign to counter Republican gerrymandering in Texas and has become a strong counterweight to Trump, attacking him online and on air. "}],[{"start":157.85,"text":"Newsom regularly mocks the president as weak and doddering. As a result, his approval rating in California jumped 10 points in five months, hitting 54 per cent in December, and he surged to a lead in polling for the 2028 national Democratic primary. Meanwhile, in Illinois, Pritzker has defied sustained pressure from the administration, including the deployment of the National Guard in Chicago."}],[{"start":183.6,"text":"These are leaders who have gone toe-to-toe with Trump and grown in popularity as a result. Trump’s own appeal rests partly on being seen as a fighter and the protector of ordinary Americans. He bullies foreign leaders and trying to placate him can make them look weak in comparison. The example set by Carney, Newsom and Pritzker proves that voters don’t reward leaders who cower — they admire those who stand their ground."}],[{"start":209.9,"text":"Starmer’s departure from office presents Labour with an opportunity to resist the US’s angry rightwing populism, much as Canada under Carney has done. Britain is economically weaker and poorer thanks to Brexit, for which Trump’s friend Nigel Farage was one of the main cheerleaders. A strong prime minister should make the case that populism of the kind Farage traffics in has failed to deliver for the people. That is a role Burnham can step into if he chooses not to kowtow to Trump. "}],[{"start":238,"text":"The evidence from Canada, California and Illinois is clear: leaders who take the fight to this president do not just serve their people better; they are politically rewarded for it too."}],[{"start":255.75,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1783393394_1686.mp3"}