One man confronted a whole hemisphere for Britain and the Falkland Islanders. It wasn't Barack Obama. It was Stephen Harper. Friend of Israel. Low tax conservative. Social conservative. All round good man.

By Tim Montgomerie
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It is one year since Stephen Harper won his first majority as Prime Minister of Canada. Read this piece from John Ibbotson in the Globe and Mail and be grateful for this man:

"At the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, this month, Latin American leaders pushed hard for a resolution supporting Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands. Stephen Harper pushed back.

In a private session with leaders, according to people who know, the Prime Minister fiercely supported the right of the islanders to determine their fate, and they had chosen to remain British. For Canada, this was a matter of deep principle, Mr. Harper insisted.

The United States has always been neutral on the Falklands, but when Canada took the lead, President Barack Obama made it clear he backed Mr. Harper. The resolution failed.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was furious. “This is pointless. Why did I even come here?” the Argentinean president was overheard saying as she stormed out of the conference."

And there's more:

"Mr. Harper's willingness to confront an entire hemisphere's worth of Latin American leaders, was born of the same deep conviction that has driven the law-and-order omnibus bill, that has made cutting sales and corporate taxes a top priority, that has given Canada the reputation of having Israel's back like no other nation, that imposed spending cuts and job cuts on the public service in the last budget.

One year after winning his first majority government, a milestone he marks on Wednesday, and more than six years after becoming prime minister, Stephen Harper bestrides Canadian politics, a principled economic and social conservative who is reshaping the nation."

Not so long ago Harper's Canada was also the nation that said "stop" to the global warming consensus, pulling out of Kyoto.

Most British Conservatives don't know much about Stephen Harper, a man who has triumphed in a country which had become incredibly inhospitable to conservatism. He deserves a lot more of our attention and respect.