8th November 2024
Ecolabels: A Catalyst for Sustainable Food Choices?
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs
A unique insight into UK foreign and development policy
17th October 2024
OSLOBOĐENJE BEOGRADA
11th October 2024
Busting the gender myths – women and organised crime
11th April 2013 Bangalore, India
Understanding Indo-UK health regulations
Research between India and the UK is growing and joint research funding between both countries now exceeds £100 million. An important strand in this research co-operation is health and biopharma. But if this research is to become real-world treatments and medical products, regulations in both countries will come into play. Therefore, regulations which support collaboration, […]
Read more on Understanding Indo-UK health regulations | Reply (2)
11th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Four more indigenous scholars head to Cambridge and Oxford
There are few things more important than education. Our Chevening scholarships benefit the individuals who come to the UK to study, the communities from which they come, and the societies to which they return, often to play future leadership roles. So it was a great pleasure to be sending four more young indigenous Australians off […]
Read more on Four more indigenous scholars head to Cambridge and Oxford | Reply (1)
11th April 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Lady Thatcher and Tun Mahathir: Era-defining Leaders
This Blog is also available in Bahasa Malaysia. Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of meeting Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir when he came to the High Commissioner’s residence to write a message in a condolence book to mark the sad passing of Lady Thatcher. Tun Mahathir’s message and some of the comments on […]
Read more on Lady Thatcher and Tun Mahathir: Era-defining Leaders | Reply (6)
10th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Down a coal mine
By a strange coincidence, I found myself down a coal mine on the day Margaret Thatcher died. The 1984-5 miners’ strike had been one of the many significant events of her premiership. There has been massive coverage of her death in the Australian media and comments from across the political spectrum paying tribute to Lady […]
10th April 2013 Nairobi, Kenya
Somalia and the G8: Push to start
This week, as part the UK’s Presidency of the G8, Foreign Ministers will meet to discuss the need to encourage the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to re-engage in Somalia. The G8 countries are some of the largest shareholders in both the World Bank and the IMF. As a result, the UK is using its Presidency […]
9th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The Global impact of the Arms Trade Treaty
I doubt very much that I am the only British Ambassador writing, talking and promoting the Arms Trade Treaty this week. All over the world British Embassies had been working with treaty supporters and to change the minds of sceptics for the past 7 years. So when it was agreed in the United Nations the […]
Read more on The Global impact of the Arms Trade Treaty | Reply
9th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
High fashion in Istanbul
What do Nicole Scherzinger, Arzu Kaprol, Keira Knightley, Harvey Nichols, Katy Perry and Deniz Berdan have in common? They’re all involved in Turkish fashion. Nicole Scherzinger wears Cengiz Abazoğlu. Arzu Kaprol is an award-winning designer with a corner at Harrods. Keira Knightley wears Bora Aksu. Harvey Nichols has two stores in Turkey packed with British […]
8th April 2013 Ottawa, Canada
The G8 – the role it can play in preventing conflict
If you watch the news later this week you’ll see that G8 Foreign Ministers will be meeting in London on 10-11 April to discuss global conflict: how to prevent it, how to end it and how to deal with its consequences …
Read more on The G8 – the role it can play in preventing conflict | Reply (14)
8th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
International Roma Day – La Multi Ani!
Being an Ambassador is a great job. In the last two years, I’ve steered a battleship, driven a sports car, travelled all over Romania and met some wonderful people. But the day I enjoyed most was July 27, 2011, when the British Embassy marked a year to go to the London Olympics by holding a […]
Read more on International Roma Day – La Multi Ani! | Reply (1)
7th April 2013
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Cheers to Health
‘Tena Yistelign’ is the Ethiopian greeting that wishes people good health to people we don’t know very well. This cheerful greeting underlines the importance of having a healthy life. As we mark another World Health Day today, it is a reminder that having a healthy lifestyle is critical to being productive and contributing to the […]