Nigel Sheinwald

A Bloody Good Show

In these pages I have shared observations on the British contribution in Afghanistan, the UK’s role in shaping the international economic agenda, and our performance as a leading innovator in new low-carbon technologies.  But in this blog, I wanted to flag a less remarked-upon British contribution to American life: to the unholy ranks of the Silver Screen’s undead.
 
It seems an immutable law of Hollywood that the finest baddies in American film are always played by Brits. I’m not sure exactly why – there is nothing inherently menacing, I think, about an English accent. But whatever the reason, I have spotted a cinematic trend here that builds on this fine tradition: British vampires.
 
This week sees the release of the highly anticipated second instalment of the Vampire saga Twilight. This spectacular teen drama - which focuses on the forbidden love of the vampire Edward Cullen for his sweetheart Bella - has attracted, in some circles, as much attention as the current healthcare debate (although being undead would still presumably be classed as a pre-existing condition?).
 
Cullen is played by the talented British actor Robert Pattinson, whose disturbing stare now dominates downtown billboards advertising the new film.  As a Prince of Darkness flying the flag for Britain, Pattison is not alone. His British colleague Stephen Moyer has proved a tremendous hit as the tormented blood-sucker Bill Compton in HBO’s series True Blood, whilst Kate Beckinsale, as Selene in the Underworld franchise, shows British women are equally adept at vampyric horror.
 
All three build on an established pedigree of undead Brits terrorising their transatlantic victims. From Christopher Lee to Gary Oldman, the Transylvanian Count has often enjoyed an English incarnation. Coincidence? Or something, shall we say, more “cryptic”? Could it be the British climate that creates the pale and pasty complexion necessary to portray authentically Bram Stoker’s monster? Or is it our “deadpan” humour, putting the grave into graveyard, that makes us Brits especially suited to vampire kitsch?
 
Whatever the reason, I am very happy – as British Ambassador – to acknowledge this latest example of UK artistic impact in the USA. The success of British actors in the United States, and the popularity of British arts and television here more generally, speak to the strength of the cultural ties that bind our two countries. Our cultural and media exports are also a lucrative industry for the UK economy, which the Embassy will continue to support in whatever way we can.
 
So vampires aside, there is nothing undead about the vibrancy of the UK’s cultural and media life. And am I confident of its continued transatlantic success?  The “stakes” may be high, but you may most definitely “Count” on it!

Posted at 10:55 17 November 2009 by Nigel Sheinwald  |  Comments[3]

Washington Post climate change panel

I have been asked to contribute opinions to a series of questions on the Washington Post's website about climate change. You can find my first answer here, explaining why the UK believes nuclear power should be part of the energy mix in order to meet the twin challenges of energy security and climate change.

Posted at 10:02 30 October 2009 by Nigel Sheinwald  |  Comments[1]

British approach to counter terrorism

I had the opportunity on Wednesday to speak to Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs about the British response to terrorism. Terrorism is a menace which both the UK and US have suffered from and continue to face. People in New York and my hometown of London - as well as many other cities around the world - know this threat well and have experienced terrible loss and tragedy as a result of attacks in recent years.

Attacks in the US, the UK and many other countries across Africa, Europe and Asia have at their root a misguided and extreme interpretation of Islam. In the UK, threats have often come from people who have been brought up in our communities, while in the US, terrorism has been largely an external threat. So although our approaches have involved very substantial co-operation between our law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, we have different areas of emphasis.

In the UK, we have directed a tremendous amount of resources to the pursuit and disruption of terrorist activity. By 2011, the amount of money being invested in this area will have doubled since 2001. This has allowed us to increase the size of the Security Service and the number of police involved in countering violent extremism. As a result, we are regionalising our counter-terrorism effort in a way we never have before with four regional counter-terrorism policing hubs in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, with a fifth on the way. These units extend our reach and effectiveness in tackling terrorism.

We have convicted more individuals for terrorist offences. Since the beginning of last year, 81 people have been found guilty as a result of 23 operations. Part of this success is due to the strengthening of our counter-terrorism legislation, for example by widening the range of offences.

We work closely with Muslim communities in the UK, the vast majority of whom share our determination to tackle the extremists and their message. It's important to those communities, and to us, that we define the extremists not by their religion, but by their readiness to commit criminal acts of terrible violence. This is what makes them unacceptable in our society, and why there is broad cross-community condemnation of them and their methods.

It is clear that no country can counter these threats alone. The US is Britain's closest partner in the fight against international terrorism. This is perhaps most obvious in Afghanistan where UK and US troops are engaged in the difficult but vital mission of building a secure and stable country that can no longer harbour terrorists or be used as a base from which to plan and launch attacks on our countries. But in so many other parts of the world the close co-operation and sharing of intelligence, expertise, and technical capabilities between the UK and US makes our efforts to combat terrorism much stronger and more effective. Co-ordinating this joint approach is a priority for the British Embassy. It is essential for both our countries' security that our co-operation should continue and grow.

Posted at 09:21 31 October 2008 by Nigel Sheinwald  |  Comments[3]

Washington, New York and the Financial Crisis

The global financial crisis has been the number one issue for the Washington Embassy in recent weeks.  It’s been raised in nearly every meeting I have had, with the Administration, Congress, business leaders, journalists and of course the Presidential campaigns.  And it’s been at the centre of the Presidential debates – I was lucky enough to attend the second and third, in Tennessee and in New York. 

Our small Embassy economic team, drawn from the UK Treasury, Bank of England and Foreign Office, has never been busier. Throughout the past few weeks there have been constant contacts between our Government, Bank of England and regulatory authorities and their American counterparts, which the Embassy has helped facilitate. Our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, announced a major package of measures to stabilise the banking sector last week. Last weekend, the Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, both stayed at my Residence while meeting their counterparts at the IMF and World Bank. It was my job and that of my team to explain our approach to our contacts here ahead of those meetings. Last weekend’s meetings of G7 and G20 Ministers drew on the main elements of the British plan and provided a new level of international coordination on handling the crisis. 

This in turn informed the decisions taken at the Euro Group meetings last Sunday and yesterday’s European Summit in Brussels. We now have a detailed and clear European position coordinated with the United States and our other major financial partners. 

The crisis was the subject on everyone’s lips at the historic Al Smith dinner in New York yesterday evening at which both Senator McCain and Senator Obama spoke – with great wit and dignity. Among those I talked to, there was a welcome recognition of the role played by Gordon Brown and other European leaders, in consultation with the US Administration, in helping to find a way forward. 

Gordon Brown has explained the present position in an article in today’s Washington Post. This looks beyond the immediate stabilisation of the financial system to the need for major reform of the global financial architecture and a sound new regulatory framework. These will provide the best basis for avoiding a recurrence of the turbulence we have seen over the past year or more. The UK strongly supports the idea of holding a Leaders’ Summit in the near future to discuss a shared international response to the longer term issues thrown up by this first global financial crisis of the 21^st Century. 

I expect this set of issues to remain high on the Embassy’s agenda in the weeks and months ahead.

Posted at 15:55 17 October 2008 by Nigel Sheinwald  |  Comments[1]