The Sketch: In a mea culpa pot, ginger and lemon infusion suits him to a T

Brew-ha-ha: Trade Minister Dan Tehan with his gift teapot. Picture: Gary Ramage

Forget fashion diplomacy, it’s time to spill the tea with Trade Minister Dan Tehan. Or “Big T” as he’ll soon be known.

The lemon and ginger tea in Tehan’s ministerial office on Tuesday was brewed in a surprise gift from his UK counterpart, Liz Truss – a Union Jack teapot from the London Pottery Company. He paired the post-question time sip with some scones — jam on the bottom and cream on the top, the Queen’s preferred condiment order. We’ll save the Devon or Cornish scone debate for another day – Australia can’t afford another deja brew in the commonwealth’s free-trade negotiations!

Truss was forced to call and apologise to Tehan last month, after her allies told the British press she’d insulted the “glacially slow” former diplomat as “inexperienced” and planned to seat him in an “uncomfortable chair” during their 48-hour trade talks.

In a career-making move, Britain’s top diplomat in Canberra, Vicki Treadell, was rolled out to deny that the Foreign Office’s chairs were uncomfortable.

The mea culpa teapot and accompanying Emma Bridgewater cups were presented to Tehan as he was leaving London, a sugar on the top reward for surviving.

“I think as a way to demonstrate again that there was no hard feelings, they went beyond the sort of call of duty to make me feel comfortable,” Tehan said. “It was bizarre.” A sign that their relationship smells like tea spirit?

Truss is tough negotiator and considered a dark horse candidate to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. Her top dog status has only been helped along by her new nickname “patriotic trade supremo” for wooing politicians post-Brexit. Her secret? She always carries a small consignment of British-made gifts to hand out at talks including Scotch whisky, Stilton cheese and tea pots.

Will Tehan take inspiration from Truss and champion Australian quali-teas? Nerada, for example, Australia’s biggest plantation overlooking the Great Barrier Reef in Far North Queensland. Or perhaps he could add some of the notorious nibble pies (party pies to anyone outside Warrnambool) to the Tehan tote bag?

When the FTA is finally signed, Tehan plans to treat Truss to a bottle of Victoria’s Casterton rhubarb and ginger gin. Given the hot water Australia’s relationship with China is in, it’s nice to know we can still lie back and think of England.