Botham is the latest in a long line of Tory friends and supporters to get jobs

Appointments have prompted accusations of ‘chumocracy’ around Boris Johnson, reports Andrew Woodcock

The cricket legend has been named trade envoy to Australia (PA)

On the face of it, the appointment of Ian Botham as trade envoy to Australia can probably be chalked up as the latest in a long line of prime ministerial actions taken primarily in the hope that some of the glamour of celebrity will rub off on the politician.

Botham’s new job will not require him to get involved in the complex work of trade negotiations, but is a promotional role where a famous face may well help grab a little bit of Aussie attention for UK exporters hoping to sell their products Down Under.

And the selection of one of England’s greatest all-time cricketing heroes has delivered a quick result in terms of positive headlines for Boris Johnson in a summer otherwise dominated by the debacle of the Afghanistan withdrawal and continuing questions over the government’s handling of Covid.