Johnson defends Australian choice for trade role

BORIS JOHNSON has defended trade role prospect Tony Abbott amid allegations of homophobia and misogyny, saying yesterday that the former prime minister’s election by the people of Australia “speaks for itself”.

Ministers have come under pressure to scrap proposals to make Mr Abbott joint president of the relaunched Board of Trade.

Critics have raised numerous concerns over the allegations, including his climate change scepticism and belief that coronavirus restrictions should be lifted.

Asked about the claims yesterday, Mr Johnson said: “There’s going to be an announcement I think in due course about the composition of the Board of Trade. I don’t, obviously don’t agree with those sentiments at all, but then I don’t agree with everyone who serves the Government in an unpaid capacity on hundreds of boards across the country. And I can’t be expected to do so.

“What I would say about Tony Abbott is this is a guy who was elected by the people of the great liberal democratic nation of Australia. It’s an amazing country, it’s a freedom- loving country, it’s a liberal country. There you go, I think that speaks for itself.”

Mr Abbott previously said he felt “a bit threatened” by homosexuality and was accused of misogyny by fellow former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.

Prominent LGBT figures including Sir Ian McKellen and Doctor Who writer Russell T Davies have signed an open letter alongside environmental activists to ask the Government to reconsider his potential appointment. The letter, first reported by ITV News, said: “This is a man who described abortion as ‘ the easy way out’ and suggested that men may be ‘ by physiology or temperament more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command’.”

It added that Mr Abbott “vigorously campaigned” against Australia’s successful marriage equality referendum in 2017 and had said climate change is “probably doing good”.

Labour has written to the Government urging it not to appoint Mr Abbott, saying to do so would be “completely unacceptable” because of his “offensive and outdated” views.