UPDATE 1-British minister defends trade role for ex-Australian PM Abbott

LONDON, Sept 3- Britain’s health minister on Thursday said Australian former Prime Minister Tony Abbott would bring huge expertise to a role advising the British government on trade despite his suggestion that men might be better suited to authority than women. Abbott, who led Australia between 2013 and 2015, has so far refused to deny or confirm that he will…

LONDON, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Britain’s health minister on

Thursday said Australian former Prime Minister Tony Abbott would

bring huge expertise to a role advising the British government

on trade despite his suggestion that men might be better suited

to authority than women.

Abbott, who led Australia between 2013 and 2015, has so farrefused to deny or confirm that he will become a trade adviserfor Britain, but some British lawmakers have taken issue withcomments attributed to Abbott that they cast as “misogynist”.

A socially conservative Catholic who was born in England,Abbott has denied accusations of misogyny.

“I bow to nobody in my support for everybody to love whothey love whoever that is, as you know,” Health Secretary MattHancock told Sky when asked if he supported the appointment of aman cast by the reporter as a misogynist and homophobe.

“But you know we need to have the best experts in the worldworking in their field and as the former prime minister ofAustralia, obviously Mr Abbott has a huge amount of experience,”Hancock said.(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Alistair Smout)