25th April 2024
Reflect & Remember: Anzac Day 2024
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
23rd April 2024
Good English – A Key to Panama’s Future Success
21st March 2024
Forests in focus on International Day of Forests
26th August 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
A wet but warm welcome from Khartoum
We (my wife, Eve, and I) arrived nearly two weeks ago. As the doors of the aircraft opened so too did the heavens. We got soaked as we dashed the short distance from the foot of the aircraft steps to the waiting vehicle. It wasn’t the weather we were expecting. But it was more than […]
Read more on A wet but warm welcome from Khartoum | Reply (3)
24th August 2012 Calgary, Canada
Alberta’s fascinating contrasts
My family and I have just celebrated two months in Alberta. Arriving just prior to Stampede was thrilling. Being the first British Consul General resident in Calgary is a huge honour. Identifying a clone to pack everything in (we cover Saskatchewan and Manitoba too) is an increasing priority. To me, Alberta is a Province of […]
24th August 2012 Warsaw, Poland
It’s going to be a Great Autumn of Opportunity
All fired up and ready to go next week! Hope you all enjoyed your vacations and are looking forward to an Autumn rich in opportunity. In 5 days time we have the start of the Paralympics – this is going to be a superb show of global sporting excellence. Our Ambassador was honoured to attend […]
Read more on It’s going to be a Great Autumn of Opportunity | Reply
24th August 2012 Dublin, Ireland
Thanks for the warm up. Here we come!
Like many of you I suspect, I spent most of my spare time during the Olympics glued to the TV watching some extraordinary sport. Who could fail to admire performers like Mo Farah, Michael Phelps or David Rudisha? 29 gold medals for Team GB and third place in the medal table was a great feeling […]
Read more on Thanks for the warm up. Here we come! | Reply (1)
23rd August 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor
The Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster turns 80 on 24 August . This is an important milestone in any life, and it is a pleasure to be able to congratulate Cardinal Cormac on his birthday. But it is also a particularly significant moment in the life and career of a Cardinal. On that day, as with […]
23rd August 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
It’s about sport, not disability
Next week sees the start of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, two weeks of great sport between athletes from all over the world. It is the second largest sporting event in the world, an extraordinary celebration of elite sporting ability. Maybe some people will say “So what?” and turn off. Surely nothing can match the […]
23rd August 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
After the Court’s verdict
The Foreign Office made a statement yesterday evening on the political situation in Romania. Romania has had a long, hot summer. My hope (as an optimist) is that temperatures will fall in the autumn and that the focus will be on economic and institutional reform and strengthening the rule of law. There are important decisions […]
23rd August 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Dreamtime in Northern Queensland rainforest
At 135 million years, the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest rainforest on earth. The Yalanji people have lived there for around 40,000 years. I was invited to visit the new indigenous eco-tourism development at Mossman Gorge, just north of Cairns, a week after it opened. Our local guide, Harold, was a mine of information as […]
Read more on Dreamtime in Northern Queensland rainforest | Reply
22nd August 2012 Toronto, Canada
Canada releases report on International Education Strategy
The Advisory Panel on Canada’s International Education Strategy wrapped up last week, tabling a 98-page report International Education: A Key Driver of Canada’s Future Prosperity. In it, the Panel sets out its vision for the Canadian education system (“to attract top talent and prepare our citizens for the global marketplace, thereby providing key building blocks […]
Read more on Canada releases report on International Education Strategy | Reply (1)
22nd August 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Somalia: Taking Stock of the Transition
On Monday, Somalia marked a significant milestone in its history. Twenty years after the country fell into conflict, a new Federal Parliament was inaugurated – paving the way to end the Transition in the next few days, and opening the first legislature to be formed inside Somalia since 1991. This is a huge achievement, both for the […]
Read more on Somalia: Taking Stock of the Transition | Reply (8)