25th July 2016 Canberra, Australia
One month later
If a week is a long time in politics, the last four weeks in the UK have felt like decades. In Australia, you’ve had your election and there is (finally) a winner: congratulations to Malcolm Turnbull. In the UK, our political system has convulsed on the back of the decision by the British people to leave the European Union. It certainly feels like we are living through historic times.
I’ve had a slightly unusual perspective on these events – watching the referendum results come in on a Friday afternoon in Canberra before hopping on a plane the next day to return to the UK for a mix of work and leave (though I did have time to get in a quick TV interview with the ABC’s Political Editor Chris Uhlmann on the way to the airport).
In some ways the timing was terrible, but in another sense it was helpful to be back at home to get a real feeling for how colleagues, friends and family were reacting to the news.
It also allowed me to be close to the latest thinking about Britain’s future, in the shape of the Foreign Office’s annual leadership conference. This was a great opportunity for UK Ambassadors from all over the world to hear directly from senior Ministers and officials, including Philip Hammond (then Foreign Secretary, now Chancellor of the Exchequer) and Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England. I also spent some time with senior colleagues in Whitehall the day after Theresa May was sworn in as PM.
Events elsewhere during this period have reminded us that the world is an unpredictable, volatile and sometimes ugly place. The Nice attack was a sickening display of brutal terrorism. The attempted coup in Turkey showed the fragility within a key NATO ally.
But the momentous events of the last month confirmed my belief – and that of all of my colleagues at the leadership conference – that the role we play as diplomats is more important than ever. I’ve returned to Australia fired up with determination to do everything I can to deliver the best possible outcome for the people of the UK as we look to the future.
And yes, I did get some down-time too! Two unforgettable highlights stand out: celebrating the Welsh football team’s Euro 2016 glory with my family in South Wales, and an audience with HM The Queen, which was a very special moment for my husband, Mark, and me.
I am a dual citizen of the UK and Australia. Your blog post and interview with CU include your thoughts about “change” with regard the recent UK referendum. I, too, was keen to discover what my friends and relatives thought about the decision. Some, live in Scotland and were perplexed. I searched twitter and fb for reliable sources to be able to understand the implications of “Brexit”. I think Phillip Hammond’s interview was imbued with calm but also, reasons why the EU situation around trade had become clunky. The other parallel issues around living and working in Britain if you were European were a concern until Phillip Hammond explained that their status was secure. But, I thought BJ had given me a “heads up” about these issues on his many fb posts. I almost predicted that level heads would prevail. The conservative nature of England’s government meant a suitable candidate for PM could be found and Theresa May has also clearly articulate a way forward. I am pleased that you were able to meet cabinet ministers and the Queen. You were able to become well informed. Your initial reaction may have been affected by Australian scepticism before you left for your holiday.
If I can be of any assistance to help “deliver the best possible outcome for the people of the UK” then I would be just as keen as your goodly self.