Mark Carney warns against Alberta referendum vote, likening it to Brexit

WorldPolitics
26 May 2026 • 9:49 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Mark Carney warns against Alberta referendum vote, likening it to Brexit

  • Mark Carney, former Bank of England governor, has branded Alberta’s upcoming vote on an independence referendum a "dangerous bluff", likening it to Brexit.
  • Carney warned that the UK is still grappling with the consequences a decade after the 2016 Brexit vote, stating people are "still 10 years later trying to undo what people didn’t think they were voting for, but what they ended up having".
  • Alberta's leader, Danielle Smith, announced a vote for October 19 on whether the province should remain part of Canada or move towards a binding referendum on separation.
  • Carney highlighted that the independence vote was not part of Ms Smith's party's platform in the last provincial election, questioning its democratic mandate.
  • Ms Smith acknowledged Albertans' frustrations, attributing them to the "disastrous policies" of the previous Canadian leader, Justin Trudeau, and urged for these grievances to be addressed.