THE government today defended plans to appoint “bigoted” former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott to a senior trade role despite concerns over misogynistic and homophobic comments he has made.

Critics have ramped up their concerns about Mr Abbott’s attitude towards women and gay people after it was revealed that he is in talks to become joint president of the relaunched Board of Trade.

In 2012, his fellow former Australian PM Julia Gillard said that “every day in every way” Mr Abbott was sexist and misogynist.

Two years earlier, during a TV interview, he said he had felt “a bit threatened” by homosexuality, and had led the campaign against same-sex marriage in Australia before the law passed in 2017.

Health secretary Mr Hancock said today that he does not believe that Mr Abbott is misogynistic or homophobic.

When pressed by Sky News presenter Kay Burley who said “he is a homophobe and a misogynist,” he added, while wearing an NHS badge with the LGBTQ rainbow flag, that “he’s also an expert in trade.”

Shadow minister Peter Kyle said that ministers “don’t even pretend not to embrace bigots anymore.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “I have real concerns about Tony Abbott and I don’t think he’s the right person for the job. If I was prime minister I wouldn’t appoint him.”

And Labour MP Marie Rimmer said: “Surely there [are] trade experts who aren’t homophobic and misogynists?

“Britain deserves better than Tony Abbott representing us on the world stage.”

Mr Abbott has also suggested that coronavirus restrictions should be lifted and that more elderly Covid-19 patients should be allowed to die by ”letting nature take its course.”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that Mr Abbott’s views are “deeply offensive and wrong” and he is not fit to be a trade envoy.

She added: “Trade, in many respects, should reflect our values. There should be ethics attached to any country’s trading profile.”

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss was later grilled by opposition MPs in Commons about the planned appointment.

Ms Truss said it was “absolute hypocrisy” for Labour to argue against Mr Abbott as they would “virtue-signal and indulge in tokenism rather than take real action to improve the lives of women.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman insisted that “no decision” on the board’s make-up had been made and declined to comment on the “political debate” surrounding Mr Abbott.