8th November 2016 Canberra, Australia
As I approach the end of my four years representing the British Government in Australia, it is time for reflection. With some diplomatic postings you are counting the days for them to end. With others, you hope they never will. This one is in the latter category. I have seen a lot of this extraordinary […]
30th September 2016 Canberra, Australia
One of my favourite parts of being a diplomat is meeting people and hearing their stories and ideas. Today I had the privilege of meeting some bright, budding diplomats visiting the British High Commission as part of the National Capital Model United Nations Conference (NCMUN). They were here to gain insights into the UK – […]
16th September 2016 Canberra, Australia
One of the great joys of being High Commissioner to Australia is the sheer variety of what I do. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected, to travel widely and frequently, and to deal with a diverse range of issues. It’s why I love the job. The last three weeks have been a slightly extreme example […]
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1st August 2016 Canberra, Australia
Last week, we hosted David Lammy MP on a visit to Australia. He came here as part of his review into possible racial bias against BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) people in the British criminal justice system. This work was commissioned by former PM David Cameron, and has the full endorsement of our new PM […]
25th July 2016 Canberra, Australia
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 […]
7th July 2016 Canberra, Australia
For many in the UK, the first day of the Battle of the Somme looms large in our island story – it was the first time a mass, citizen army drawn from the population as a whole, rather than professional soldiers, was committed into an industrialised theatre of war. It was to be a terrible, […]
30th June 2016 Canberra, Australia
One of the best days of my life culminated in the POSK Polish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, West London. Let me explain. I went to school directly opposite the POSK centre. I often walked past it, looking at the windows full of posters of beautiful places, described in a language I could not begin to […]
17th June 2016 Canberra, Australia
It is 26 years since a British MP was murdered. Back in 1990, the victim was Ian Gow, a Conservative politician, murdered by the IRA. In those days, we had come to half-expect such terrible events to punctuate the rhythm of life in the UK. But it was from an enemy we knew and recognised […]
10th June 2016 Canberra, Australia
When I joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a former Ambassador gave me a piece of advice that I remember to this day. He said that a diplomat is only as good as their network. It stuck with me, because he was right. To be an effective diplomat, you need great networks. No […]
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6th June 2016 Canberra, Australia
Having joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) just four weeks prior to the British High Commission in Canberra hosting the official celebration for Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday, attending a black-tie affair with Ambassadors and diplomats from around the globe certainly fitted, if not exceeded, my mental picture of working life in an embassy. […]
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