A Sky News presenter has grilled the UK Health Secretary about the possible appointment of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as Britain's new trade envoy.
The former leader is apparently on the cusp of joining the UK's Board of Trade, where he could soon influence the way Britain engages with other nations in this post-Brexit world.
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The appointment of an Australian to this board has raised some eyebrows and that's why Matt Hancock was asked about whether Mr Abbott stacks up to the job.
Sky News presenter Kay Burley said Mr Abbott is a 'homophobe' and a 'misogynist' and questioned the Health Secretary if he thought those were characteristics that should warrant a job with the Board of Trade.
Mr Hancock didn't think those labels are 'true' for the former Prime Minister but did say he's an 'expert in trade'.
That last comment scored a massive rebuke from Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Scotland's leader told Sky News that not only does she believe Tony Abbott to be a 'a misogynist, a sexist' but also that he's a 'climate change denier' who isn't fit to be 'any kind of envoy for the United Kingdom'.
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Savage is an understatement.
The calls for Downing Street to drop Mr Abbott for consideration for the job have come from Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, human rights groups Amnesty International and Liberty, the TUC, women's equality body the Fawcett Society, and Greenpeace.
The former Prime Minister has made the odd comment in his time and that's what has earned him such scorn in the UK.
He once referred to abortion as 'the easy way out', suggested men are better adapted to exercise than women and was called out by Julia Gillard when she was Prime Minister for being a misogynist.
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Mr Abbott also recently said the way parts of Australia were handling the coronavirus were like a 'health dictatorship' and that hard decisions needed to be made (like letting an older person die) in order to kickstart the economy.
While he has received a bulk of criticisms since his name was mentioned as a possible candidate for the UK job, his sister, Christine Forster, has backed him up in a statement on social media.
The politician said her brother is neither a homophobe or a misogynist and is a 'man of great conviction and intellect'. She said he would be an 'outstanding trade envoy' and accused Sky News of trying to score 'cheap political points'.
Featured Image Credit: PA
