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LONDON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Britain named former Australian
Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, as a trade adviser on Friday,
rejecting complaints from critics that his conservative views
about women and gay people made him unfit to represent the
United Kingdom.
Some British lawmakers, including the leader of the
opposition Labour Party Keir Starmer, have said Abbott, 62, who
led Australia from 2013-2015, was not suitable for the job.
The government said on Friday he would become an adviser to
Britain's Board of Trade, which was relaunched in 2017 to
champion export and inward investment after Brexit. It is
supported by leading figures from the world of politics and
business who act as advisers.
"The new Board of Trade will play an important role in
helping Britain make the case for free and fair trade across the
UK and around the world," Secretary of State for International
Trade, Liz Truss, said in a statement.
(Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Stephen Addison)