Australia Day: Raise a tinnie to Aussies, jovial Boris Johnson tells Britons

British PM Boris Johnson has sent a message to Scott Morrison on Australia Day as he reinforced the closeness between the two nations.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sent a happy Australia Day message to Scott Morrison as he reinforced the closeness between the two nations amid a behind-the-scenes diplomatic tussle in recent months over climate change.

In a specially recorded message from Downing Street to Canberra on Tuesday, Mr Johnson “raised a tinnie” for Australians while hailing 2021 as a year for both countries to continue working closely together, especially on the delivery of a free-trade deal.

“For two nations that are geographically so far apart, the UK and Australia have long been extraordinarily close,” he said.

“We share so much in our language, our history, our culture and when the UK has called out for those willing to fight for freedom on foreign fields, the brave young men and women of Australia have never failed to respond.”

He said the UK would always be grateful and forever in debt to Australia for offering assistance whenever needed. “That is something for which we in the UK will always be grateful and remember, indeed the whole world will be forever in the debt of Australia.”

The jovial message came months after the two prime ministers gave different public accounts of a phone conversation they had in October. Mr Johnson allegedly used the call to push for “bold action” to address climate change and “emphasised the importance of setting ambitious targets to cut emissions” amid Mr Morrison’s refusal to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050.

A statement from Mr Morrison’s media unit said the two had shared a “warm discussion”.

Mr Johnson said he looked forward to welcoming Mr Morrison at the G7 conference in Cornwall this year, wished everyone a “great time” and said: “If you’re British, take a moment to celebrate the Lucky Country and raise a tinnie to Australia and her people.”