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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

2nd October 2014

Order! Order!

I think two Speakers make a stereo system. There was certainly a high fidelity exchange when Australian Parliament Speaker Bronwyn Bishop hosted the Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow in Canberra this week.

Speaker Bercow, Speaker Bishop, HE Paul Madden
Speaker Bercow, Speaker Bishop, HE Paul Madden

Speaker Bercow is a familiar face around the world from TV coverage of the famous weekly Prime Minister’s Question Time. He received a warm welcome from many federal politicians. He gave a lecture on Digital Democracy, addressed the Foreign Affairs Standing Committee and met the UK Parliamentary Group chaired by Sarah Henderson MP. Speaker Bishop and I each hosted a dinner for him and I took him to call on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and her shadow Tanya Plibersek. He learned that Australian politicians had followed closely the debate in Westminster last week about action against ISIL, as Australia readies itself to join the coalition. All his interlocutors seemed relieved with the outcome of the recent Scottish referendum.

Madam Speaker Bishop, referring to the similarities and differences between the two parliaments, suggested that she presided over a unique “Ausminster” system. Speaker Bercow said it would be patronising to describe Westminster as the Mother of Parliaments, so perhaps he could call it “the Mother-in-Law of Parliaments”.  There were many interesting exchanges about the scope to learn from each other’s practices. Madam Speaker will shortly be travelling to Europe as part of her campaign for the presidency of the Inter Parliamentary Union, a role which she would no doubt perform with her usual vigour and style.

Mr Bercow is no mean tennis player. A champion in his youth, whilst in Canberra he took on John Alexander MP, Australian Davis Cup star who was once ranked #8 in the world, and gave him a run for his money. He also had the opportunity to visit State parliaments in Melbourne and Perth.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.