11th June 2013 Dublin, Ireland
It has been another really busy but rewarding week for me. The highlights included reminders of history, a visit to Poznan and further evidence of the potential to increase trade and investment with Poland. The Fourth of June was both the anniversary of the historic 1989 elections in Poland when Solidarity won a remarkable victory […]
9th May 2013
Last month Ethiopians cast their ballots in the 2013 local elections. They were peaceful and according to the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) more than 90% of the 31 million registered voters took part on polling days, 14 and 21 April. Local elections here are for electing members of local government at zonal, sub-city, […]
28th March 2013 London, UK
I must be in hundreds of photos seen by people around the world. Not because I’m some global celebrity, but because I regularly walk or cycle over the bridge by the Houses of Parliament in London. Each time I do, I end up in the photos of tourists lining up to take pictures of the […]
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22nd August 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
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 […]
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29th June 2012 London, UK
I’ve been thinking about how Pakistan is another area where EU collective action and UK foreign policy complement each other in a country that matters to us. As the world’s largest single market, diplomacy based on trade is a major strength for the EU. As a block formed of 27 states, the EU is able […]
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2nd April 2012 Washington DC, USA
I recommend you take a look at the latest blog written by Helmand’s new Head of Mission, Catriona Laing, on the recent DCC elections in Sangin. Famous for its dangerous past where many British and American soldiers lost their lives, Sangin now boasts its first ever District Community Council elections where over 2,000 people travelled […]
31st March 2012 Harare, Zimbabwe
Its not often in recent years that there has been a carnival type atmosphere in the Helmand district of Sangin. Internationally Sangin is known for the large number of ISAF casualties – 100 British, and many US Marine deaths since they took over the battlefield in 2010. But this week saw a unique event […]
18th May 2010 Islamabad, Pakistan
For British citizens the outcome of last week’s General Election has been pretty remarkable. For the first time since the Second World War we have a coalition government. And we have the prospect of some quite substantial constitutional change: legislation to give Parliament a fixed term of five years, a referendum on whether to move […]