FCO Political Director
3rd May 2018 London, UK
Pat Moynihan famously said, ‘everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.’ Those words have never been more poignant. We’re living through an era where disinformation increasingly cascades through our newsfeeds and across our airwaves. The concept of truth, a fundamental building block for developing consensus and shared understanding is under […]
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2nd May 2017 London, UK
Every year the global community pauses on April 29 to remember the victims of chemical warfare. The U.N. promotes international awareness and action against these horrific weapons that strike insidiously and indiscriminately, causing agonizing death and injury to people who have no way to protect themselves. This year will be all the more poignant as […]
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13th March 2017 London, UK
When the recently elected Gambian President announced that he intended to take his country back into the Commonwealth (the previous president had withdrawn Gambia from the organisation), one of my twitter followers commented that Gambia was becoming a British colony again! For some in Turkey, the sun has never set on the British Empire. But […]
10th December 2016 London, UK
10 December is Human Rights Day and around the world British Embassies will be expressing their commitment to universal fundamental rights. We do this because human rights are important in themselves. But they are also good for our societies and economies. The World Bank have said respect for human rights can “improve development outcomes and […]
13th November 2016 London, UK
Lots of people are asking me the same question I get every year on the significance of the poppy flower. Here’s a slightly updated version of the blog I wrote last year if you’re interested in knowing the answer #WhydoBritswearthePoppy? https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/richardmoore/2015/11/11/why-do-brits-wear-the-poppy/ Why do Brits wear the Poppy? The small, red flower – a poppy – […]
4th February 2016 London, UK
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the civil war in Syria, the most urgent humanitarian catastrophe of the day continues with a quarter of a million lives lost to date. The international community must significantly step up its efforts and act now to support the 18 million people in Syria and neighbouring countries who […]
4th January 2016 London, UK
We diplomats are not often praised for the way in which we spend public funds. The UK tabloids prefer to perpetuate the myth of the champagne-swilling cocktail party-goer. So it was nice to receive some positive feedback recently about one of our long standing bilateral projects in Turkey. My correspondent wrote “As a British taxpayer, […]
10th December 2015 London, UK
Today is international human rights day, and around the world people are reflecting and campaigning on hugely important freedoms. I want to take the opportunity to pay tribute to all those who work for human rights, and who make great sacrifices and put themselves in danger for the sake of justice and liberty: people like […]
25th November 2015 London, UK
We have to stop violence against women because for too long, too many women around the world have experienced terrible abuse. The UN estimates 35% of women globally have experienced some form of violence. This abuse can happen in ordinary homes, and in warzones where women are disproportionate victims of sexual violence. And these crimes […]
11th November 2015 London, UK
The small, red flower – a poppy – that I’m currently wearing on my jacket lapel (and my Twitter page) is often a point of curiosity in Turkey and people frequently ask about it. The United Kingdom, together with other Commonwealth nations, commemorates Remembrance Day every year on 11th November when we remember our fallen. […]