Longtime Liberal MP Bill Blair appointed Canada’s high commissioner to the U.K.

Former cabinet minister Bill Blair has resigned his seat in the House of Commons, with Prime Minister Mark Carney announcing the longtime Liberal has been appointed as Canada’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom.

The prime minister confirmed the appointment in a statement Monday, in which he also stated that national security and intelligence advisor Nathalie Drouin has been appointed Canada’s ambassador to France and Monaco.

Blair is replacing Ralph Goodale, another longtime Trudeau-era Liberal minister, who served as high commissioner to the U.K. from 2021 to 2025.

Until last May, Blair was Canada’s minister of national defence. Previous portfolios he led included emergency preparedness, border security, and organized crime reduction, a role that was later absorbed by other departments.

A former chief of the Toronto Police Service, Blair was first elected in 2015 in the GTA riding of Scarborough Southwest.

Blair’s vacancy is the second from the Liberal benches this year. In January, former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland also announced her resignation, to take on an economic adviser position for the Ukrainian government. Both will need to be replaced in byelections.

Blair is not the only former top minister from former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet who has lined up a post-politics diplomatic role.

Former justice minister David Lametti took on the role of Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Bob Rae, in November.

With files from CTV News’ Stephanie Ha and Rachel Aiello