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Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy

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A Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy is a position in British foreign policy, within the Department for International Trade since 2016, and formerly with the UK Trade & Investment government department from 2003 to 2016.[1]

Trade Envoys are appointed by the Prime Minister in order to promote British business and trade interests abroad. The Special Representative for International Trade and Investment is a currently dormant position previously held by a member of the British Royal Family, who had the responsibility of representing the Sovereign for trade purposes. Following the 2012 Cabinet reshuffle, Ken Clarke was made a roving trade envoy, focusing on promoting British expertise to emerging economies, in particular China and Brazil.[2]

Between September 2012 and November 2013, Lord Marland served as the Prime Minister's trade envoy. Upon his suggestion, and in collaboration with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the post was expanded in November 2012, when David Cameron announced the creation of eight new trade envoys to selected high-growth and developing markets.[3] Additional representatives of the British government were appointed in March 2014 following the success of the initial programme. On 23 August 2021 a further set of envoys were announced, including prominent Brexiteers Lord Botham and Kate Hoey.[4][5] The appointment of Ian Botham as a Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy was viewed by some people as unexpected, as he has no experience of economic or trade matters. When he was first appointed to the House of Lords, Botham had said that he would join discussions "“when they are debating something I know about – like sport or the countryside", but that there was "[n]ot much point if it’s a trade deal with Japan.”[6]

In April 2017 there were 21 trade envoys, covering approximately 50 markets.[7]

Current Prime Ministerial Trade Envoys

[edit]
United Kingdom Prime Ministerial Trade Envoys

Region/Market Trade Envoy Political Affiliation Appointed
South Africa
Andrew Selous
MP for South West Bedfordshire
(born 1962)
Conservative Party
Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica
Baroness Hooper
Life peer and former MEP for Liverpool
(born 1939)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Ukraine
Baroness Meyer
Life peer and former National Treasurer of the Conservative Party
(born 1953)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
The Caribbean, with a focus on 12 Commonwealth Countries
Darren Henry
MP for Broxtowe
(born 1968)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia
Martin Vickers
MP for Cleethorpes
(born 1950)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Nigeria
Helen Grant
MP for Maidstone and The Weald
(born 1961)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Jordan, Kuwait and Palestine Territories
Baroness Morris of Bolton
Life peer
(born 1953)
Conservative Party
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Iraq
Baroness Nicholson
Life peer, former MP for MP for Torridge and West Devon and former MEP for South East England (European Parliament constituency)
(born 1941)
Conservative Party 5 September 2017
(7 years ago)
 (2017-09-05)
Tunisia, watching brief for Libya
Damien Moore
MP for Southport
(born 1980)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Mongolia
Daniel Kawczynski
MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham
(born 1972)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
Heather Wheeler
MP for South Derbyshire
(born 1959)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Mozambique
Katherine Fletcher
MP for South Ribble
(born 1976)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand
Mark Garnier
MP for Wyre Forest
(born 1963)
Conservative Party 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Israel
Baron Austin of Dudley
Life Peer and former MP for Dudley North
(born 1965)
Crossbencher (formerly Labour Party) 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Sri Lanka
Baron Davies of Abersoch
Life Peer
(born 1952)
Crossbencher (formerly Labour Party) 5 October 2020
(4 years ago)
 (2020-10-05)[8]
Australia
Baron Botham
Life peer
(born 1955)
Crossbencher 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Ghana
Baroness Hoey
Life peer and former MP for Vauxhall
(born 1946)
Crossbencher (formerly Labour Party) 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Switzerland, Liechtenstein
Stephen Timms
MP for East Ham
(born 1955)
Labour Party 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Pakistan
Mark Eastwood
MP for Dewsbury
(born 1971)
Conservative Party 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Brazil
Marco Longhi
MP for Dudley North
(born 1967)
Conservative Party 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Canada
Dame Maria Miller
MP for Basingstoke
(born 1964)
Conservative Party 26 May 2022
(2 years ago)
 (2022-05-26)[9]
Tanzania
Baron Walney
Former MP for Barrow and Furness, currently Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption
(born 1978)
Formerly Labour Party, then Independent; now sits as a Crossbencher, but endorsed the Conservative Party in the most recent (2019) general election 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Iceland, Norway
Felicity Buchan
MP for Kensington
(born 1970)
Conservative Party 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Egypt, Cameroon
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
MP for Lagan Valley and Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
(born 1962)
Democratic Unionist Party 23 August 2021
(3 years ago)
 (2021-08-23)[5]
Bangladesh
Rushanara Ali
MP for Bethnal Green and Bow
(born 1975)
Labour Party April 2016
Angola, Zambia
Laurence Robertson
MP for Tewkesbury
(born 1958)
Conservative Party
Oman
Viscount Astor
Hereditary peer, 4th Viscount Astor
Elected by Conservative hereditary peers

(born 1951)
Conservative Party
Taiwan
Baron Faulkner of Worcester
Life peer
(born 1946)
Labour Party
Iran
Baron Lamont of Lerwick
Life peer and former MP for Kingston-upon-Thames
(born 1942)
Conservative Party

References

[edit]
  1. ^ BIS - Press Releases - New trade envoys and business investment to boost trade links
  2. ^ BBC News - Ken Clarke given trade envoy role
  3. ^ Internet Memory | UK Government Web Archive Archived 2014-04-03 at the UK Government Web Archive
  4. ^ BBC News - Lord Botham appointed trade envoy to Australia
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Prime Minister's Trade Envoy Programme, Press release made on 23 August 2021". GOV.UK. UK Government. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Ian Botham as Trade Envoy". The Independent. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Trade envoys". GOV.UK. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Prime Minister's Trade Envoy Programme, Statement made on 5 October 2020, Statement UIN HLWS480". UK Parliament - Written questions, answers and statements. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  9. ^ "PM announces new Trade Envoys to boost combined £54 billion of trade". UK Government. Retrieved 17 June 2024.