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.
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.
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. 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. 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 "ot much point if it’s a trade deal with Japan.”
In April 2017 there were 21 trade envoys, covering approximately 50 markets.
Current Prime Ministerial Trade Envoys
| United Kingdom Prime Ministerial Trade Envoys | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| Nigeria | Helen Grant MP for Maidstone and The Weald (born 1961) |
Conservative Party | 5 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-05) |
| 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) |
| Mongolia | Daniel Kawczynski MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham (born 1972) |
Conservative Party | 5 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-05) |
| Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam | Heather Wheeler MP for South Derbyshire (born 1959) |
Conservative Party | 5 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-05) |
| Mozambique | Katherine Fletcher MP for South Ribble (born 1976) |
Conservative Party | 5 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-05) |
| Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand | Mark Garnier MP for Wyre Forest (born 1963) |
Conservative Party | 5 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-05) |
| 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) |
| Sri Lanka | Baron Davies of Abersoch Life Peer (born 1952) |
Crossbencher (formerly Labour Party) | 5 October 2020 (4 years ago) (2020-10-05) |
| Australia | Baron Botham Life peer (born 1955) |
Crossbencher | 23 August 2021 (3 years ago) (2021-08-23) |
| 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) |
| Switzerland, Liechtenstein | Stephen Timms MP for East Ham (born 1955) |
Labour Party | 23 August 2021 (3 years ago) (2021-08-23) |
| Pakistan | Mark Eastwood MP for Dewsbury (born 1971) |
Conservative Party | 23 August 2021 (3 years ago) (2021-08-23) |
| Brazil | Marco Longhi MP for Dudley North (born 1967) |
Conservative Party | 23 August 2021 (3 years ago) (2021-08-23) |
| Canada | Dame Maria Miller MP for Basingstoke (born 1964) |
Conservative Party | 26 May 2022 (2 years ago) (2022-05-26) |
| 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) |
| Iceland, Norway | Felicity Buchan MP for Kensington (born 1970) |
Conservative Party | 23 August 2021 (3 years ago) (2021-08-23) |
| 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) |
| 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
- BIS - Press Releases - New trade envoys and business investment to boost trade links
- BBC News - Ken Clarke given trade envoy role
- Internet Memory | UK Government Web Archive Archived 2014-04-03 at the UK Government Web Archive
- BBC News - Lord Botham appointed trade envoy to Australia
- ^ "Prime Minister's Trade Envoy Programme, Press release made on 23 August 2021". GOV.UK. UK Government. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- "Ian Botham as Trade Envoy". The Independent. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- "Trade envoys". GOV.UK. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ "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.
- "PM announces new Trade Envoys to boost combined £54 billion of trade". UK Government. Retrieved 17 June 2024.