Catherine West, Labour MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, has been appointed as the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Pakistan as part of the government’s Trade Envoy programme aimed at strengthening bilateral economic ties and promoting UK trade and investment overseas.
The announcement, made by the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, forms part of a wider set of appointments to drive export growth and attract foreign direct investment in key markets. As Trade Envoy, West will work closely with British and Pakistani businesses, government officials, and trade organisations to identify opportunities for collaboration, support market access, and champion the UK as a destination of choice for investment.
In her first public statement following the appointment, West said she was “delighted” to take on the role and is “looking forward to championing the UK as a destination of choice for investment and helping businesses in Britain & Pakistan to thrive.”
Diplomats and trade officials from both nations have welcomed the development as part of broader efforts to grow economic cooperation. These efforts include recent UK-Pakistan initiatives to expand development partnerships and business ties, with trade between the two countries having risen significantly in recent years.
The Trade Envoy programme is voluntary and unpaid, but provides parliamentarians with a platform to support trade missions, welcome inward delegations, and deepen market engagement on behalf of the UK government.
