Liam Fox’s nomination to become the next Director-General of the World Trade Organisation – and Global Britain – received a significant boost yesterday, just two days after his formal appointment to the competition by the PM. Speaking to a Chatham House event last night, the US Trade Secretary Robert Lighthizer told the audience Fox was “one of the favourites”, lavishing praise:

“I’m an admirer of his … I’ve had many a conversation with him. I’ve even had the occasional cocktail with him. He’s smart, he knows the area, he has a good philosophy.”

Last month Lighthizer told lawmakers the US is looking to back “someone who understands the nature of the problem of free economies dealing with China”, which may not be too difficult a manifesto for Fox to get on board with, given the UK’s shift away from warm relations over Hong Kong, and an impending u-turn on Huawei. Fox wasn’t one of the favourites before, however such praise from the world’s largest economy can’t hurt…