British manufacturers face industrial energy costs nearly three times those of their U.S. competitors.ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/Getty Images

Tom Tugendhat is a member of Parliament in the United Kingdom and a former security minister.

The King of Canada’s first Speech from the Throne last week made two things clear: First, those who moved to the true north and stayed loyal to the Crown are still strong – and free to choose their own path; and second, no two countries could be closer than the United Kingdom and Canada.

For centuries, we have stood together in peace and in war, in economic expansion and in political transformation. We’re not just a historic alliance with a symbolic bond of monarchy; we’re bound by mutual sacrifice and a shared vision of the future.

Today, the world is making clear why that connection matters to us both.

In Britain, shortsighted decisions have left our homes and businesses more exposed to energy instability, while on the Canadian side, the Prime Minister has made clear there are good reasons to question the reliability of the country’s most important energy partner. As Canada’s new Energy Minister, Tim Hodgson, put it in Calgary: “It’s high time to trade more with people who share our values – not just our border.”

No country fits that description better than Britain – and we need the same.

More infrastructure needed to........

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