JC Director Lord Austin has been re-appointed as the UK’s trade envoy to Israel, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds announced on Tuesday.
Austin was one of 32 parliamentarians appointed to positions today by Reynolds, who hoped the envoys would support the government’s “growth priorities, in particular through helping deliver the industrial and trade strategies and attracting foreign direct investment to every region in the UK”.
The new appointees would “complement the work of our Ambassadors, High Commissioners and His Majesty’s Trade Commissioners in their respective markets by engaging with their host governments, leading trade delegations, hosting inward delegations, meeting businesses in the UK and in market and lobbying on market access issues”, he added.
Austin, the former Labour MP for Dudley North who was appointed to the role by Theresa May in 2017 and has been reappointed by every prime minister since, said he was “delighted” to carry on in the role.
He told the JC: “Hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs in the UK depend on trade and investment with Israel and I’ll be doing everything I can to help our brilliant team at the UK’s embassy in Tel Aviv strengthen the relationship between our two great countries.”
The former advisor to Gordon Brown added: “Economic growth is the government’s number one mission and I’m looking forward to playing my part in supporting this vital work.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the JC in December last year that it was still the government’s aim to secure a free trade agreement (FTA) with Israel, despite the decision in September to impose a limited ban on arms sales to the country.
Shortly after last year’s election, Israel was listed as one of several countries, including India, South Korea, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), Switzerland and Turkey with whom the government aims to secure FTAs.
Several Jewish MPs were also appointed to other roles.
Leeds Central and Headingley MP Alex Sobel MP was made the UK’s trade envoy to Ukraine, while Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton will represent the UK’s interests in the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile and Uruguay).
Hendon MP David Pinto-Duschinsky was made envoy to Switzerland and Lichtenstein and Ben Coleman MP, who represents Chelsea and Fulham, was made envoy to “Morocco and Francophone West Africa”.