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.
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.
[3] 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.
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 "[n]ot much point if it’s a trade deal with Japan.”[6] In January 2025, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds appointed 32 trade envoys, covering 79 markets.