The selection of Lord Botham, better known as ‘Beefy’, as the trade envoy to Australia has been applauded Down Under.
Australia has endured a few thrashings and verbal barbs from the legendary all-rounder over the years.
He is reported to have once described Aussies as ‘big and empty – just like the country’.
Star power: Ian Botham with Boris Johnson. The former England cricketer has now been appointed trade envoy to Australia
But the ‘Beefy Baron’, as The Sydney Morning Herald described him on his appointment this week, is widely admired here, albeit grudgingly.
The 65-year-old may have donned the scarlet and ermine robes of the House of Lords, and be drinking more expensive Shiraz than in his playing pomp.
But his swashbuckling batting, pugnacious character, and colourful off-field antics means he is still widely viewed here as a ‘larrikin’ – or loveable rogue – who was unfortunate enough to be born in the wrong country.
The big question now is whether Beefy can actually help the UK sell more whisky, wine or cars to the Aussies when the free trade deal comes into force next year.
Or is his appointment little more than a PR wheeze from the Government?
Keith Mugford, who owns Moss Wood, a premium wine-maker in Margaret River, said Botham could make a positive impact.
‘We resent how well he played cricket against us but he’s well liked here, so people will be happy to sit down with him,’ he said.
But Mugford believes the odds are stacked in Australia’s favour when it comes to wine.
While the UK is Australia’s fifth-biggest trading partner, Australia barely scrapes into the UK’s top 20. Pictured: Sydney Harbour
Although EU tariffs on wine exports equate to just 12p on a typical bottle, he is convinced the deal will still enable him and other wine producers to sell more in the UK.
As for whether the Brits will be able to sell more wine to the Australians, the jury is still out.
‘If you come to Australia with good wine it will sell,’ said Mugford. ‘The French and Italians sell a lot of wine here so there is no reason why Australians won’t buy British wine. The difficulty will be overcoming the preconceived ideas in Australia about the quality of British wine.’
It is important not to overstate the role of trade envoys, who are essentially unpaid schmoozers.
They are usually parliamentarians appointed by the British prime minister from both houses of parliament and across the political spectrum.
Prince Andrew, a trade envoy for many years before his dramatic fall from grace, is a notable exception.
Sam Lowe, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, described the job dismissively as to ‘occasionally go abroad and talk up the UK and UK companies, and to make backbenchers feel special. That’s it.’
But the right trade envoy can wield influence. Many business deals are still struck over a boozy lunch or dinner, rather than in the boardroom.
Match winner: Botham takes on the Aussies at Headingley in 1981 when he steered England to a memorable Ashes win
It is easy to imagine cricket-mad Australian chief executives queuing up for an audience and a few glasses of wine with Botham, who has the advantage of first-hand experience of doing business in Australia, working with vineyards across the country to launch his own eponymous brand of wine.
Although much of it is sourced in Australia, it is shipped to Britain and bottled under the Botham label. Most of it is sold in British supermarkets, although it is also available in Australia.
This means he has skin in the game. While not known for his diplomacy, Botham recently proved himself to be an effective political operator.
As a high-profile Brexiteer, his star power was harnessed by Boris Johnson during the EU referendum campaign, particularly in the North, with the two men appearing together at an event in County Durham.
Botham was rewarded with a peerage. But for all his powers of persuasion, some here believe even Beefy will struggle to convince Aussies to buy more British goods.
Botham has experience of doing business in Australia, working with vineyards to launch his own brand of wine
Trevor Whittington, chief executive of the Western Australian Farmers’ Federation, said: ‘Botham is well recognised as one of the legends of UK cricket, right up there with our legends.
‘His appointment is a great opportunity to break the mould of old school trade negotiations conducted by bureaucrats in smoky rooms where not much happens.
‘But outside of whisky I’m not sure what Britain can sell to us that we don’t make here.’
Australia arguably has far more to gain from the free trade deal than the UK.
This is partly because Australia’s tariffs on imports are already low.
And while the UK is Australia’s fifth-biggest trading partner, Australia barely scrapes into the UK’s top 20.
UK farmers have warned Britain could be flooded with cheap beef from Australia once the trade deal comes into effect.
But their Australian counterparts insist it makes little sense to fly their meat across the world when they are securing record prices from selling it at home and to closer markets in Asia and the Middle East.
According to the UK government, the free trade deal will eliminate tariffs on £4.3billion of goods exported to Australia, and make it ‘cheaper to sell iconic products like cars, Scotch whisky and ceramics’.
But the economic boost is expected to be miniscule, at just 0.2 per cent of GDP.
Despite all the fanfare, the pact with Australia is really seen by Boris Johnson as a stepping stone to bigger, more lucrative deals around the world, including in Asia and the US.
As the first free trade deal struck following Britain’s departure from the EU, it also has symbolic importance.
The question is whether roping in Britain’s most famous cricketing Brexiteer is just a publicity stunt, or whether Botham can genuinely beef up trade.