The dramatic political demise of Justin Trudeau, the long-serving Canadian premier once hailed as the poster boy of global liberalism, makes him the latest casualty of the pronounced shift to the Right taking place in many Western democracies.

The ability of Mr Trudeau, an increasingly unpopular figure among the Canadian electorate, to remain in power was always going to be a tough call after Donald Trump rode the populist wave sweeping the US political landscape to secure a second term in the White House during last year’s presidential election contest.

With Mr Trump openly mocking Mr Trudeau’s political stature – referring him to him as a governor in online posts, and calling Canada the 51st state of the US – and threatening to hit the Canadians with 25 per cent tariffs, Trudeau needed to summon the vast reserves of political expertise he had acquired during nearly a decade in office if he was to remain in power.