11th February 2015 Havana, Cuba
I was surprised to read recently that some Cuban academics are under the impression that British people can’t protest in front of No 10 Downing Street where the British Prime Minister lives. They can and they do. Almost every day people gather opposite Downing Street to air their opinions about one issue or another. They […]
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29th December 2014 Havana, Cuba
Cuba’s ageing population is widely-acknowledged as a serious problem. Marino Murillo, now Minister for the Economy, has described it as a ‘colossal challenge for the nation’. The bare facts are: in 2021 more people will leave the labour force than will join, in 2026 more Cubans will die than will be born and the number […]
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8th December 2014 Havana, Cuba
I was pleased to be able to visit Cuba’s new ‘Special Development Zone’ in Mariel recently. Mariel is a central element in the Cuban government’s plan to attract more much-needed foreign investment and seeing it first-hand is something I have wanted to do for a while. Several British businessmen, interested in investing in Cuba, have […]
20th November 2014 Havana, Cuba
A lot of people call me ‘Your Excellency’. Some do so nervously, clearly uncomfortable as they shake my hand, unsure how they should greet me. On one occasion a guest to a reception, perhaps confused by my regal bearing, even curtsied to me! All this comes with the job. And calling an ambassador ‘Your Excellency’ […]
10th November 2014 Havana, Cuba
What do you want from your daily paper? That’s what readers of Granma, Cuba’s biggest daily, were asked on Friday last week. In countries where the press is independent and free, trying to find out what readers, viewers or listeners think is something all media outlets do all the time to try and improve their […]
20th October 2014 Havana, Cuba
I’m still smiling. We’ve just come to the end of ten very successful days of British culture in Havana; ten days of British music, history, theatre, science, film and dance. There were events throughout the city, at all times of day and night and for a range of audiences, including kids. We explored the breadth […]
19th September 2014 Havana, Cuba
The Cuban government’s decision to send 165 medical staff to West Africa to fight Ebola is very welcome. Working alongside national health workers, international NGO staff, epidemiologists and military staff from a number of countries including the UK, these Cuban doctors and nurses will play a crucial role in the world’s response to this terrible […]
5th September 2014 Havana, Cuba
What does an Ambassador do during their holidays is probably not a question that keeps many of you awake at night. But, if asked to come up with an answer you might hazard a guess that they spend their time following closely the latest foreign crisis, calculating what it means for the relationship between the […]
4th July 2014 Havana, Cuba
One of the more unusual visitors to Havana in the last week was perhaps Eric Schmidt, the Chair of Google. His visit coincided with the news that the Cuban economy is growing more slowly than hoped – at only 0.6% in the first six months of 2014, the coming into effect of the new foreign […]
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26th June 2014 Havana, Cuba
The tragic, early departure of the England team from the World Cup in Brazil leaves many British Ambassadors around the world with a tricky diplomatic dilemma. Who do they support now the England team has been knocked out? For those Ambassadors in countries where the home team has qualified for the last 16, the answer […]
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