My ambition for UK-Philippines relations
I’M STILL at the very beginning of my four years here in the Philippines, but I can see enormous opportunities to build the links between our two countries. Excited na ako!
I joined the British Diplomatic Service 27 years ago, straight from university. I’ve been fortunate to have done some very rewarding jobs in some fascinating places: I was the Deputy Ambassador in Madrid until last summer. I had four wonderful years in Spain working with a wide range of government departments on important commercial, security and consular issues. Before that, I was the Deputy Ambassador in Bangkok from 2008 to 2012, during a period of great political uncertainty in Thailand.
I worked in the 10 Downing Street Press Office for three years when Tony Blair was Prime Minister. I’ve been the Spokesman at our Representation to the European Union ( EU) in Brussels. I also worked on EU trade policy in Brussels for four years.
So, over the course of my career, I’ve worked in Europe and Asia. I’ve also spent a lot of time on communications issues. I’ve done policy, consular, prosperity, security, service delivery and corporate work. I’ve worked closely with the full range of government depa r tment s and devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And all of my jobs have featured close collaboration with people outside government, including NGOs, business and wider civil society.
I’ve always wanted to work in the Philippines as ambassador. The relationship between our countries is already strong — over 200,000 Filipinos live and work in the UK, many come to study; growing numbers of Brits are coming to the Philippines on holidays — nearly 200,000 last year — and many thousands live here. There are enormous opportunities ahead for both our countries. I hope I can make my own personal contribution to that.
Throughout my career, I’ve seen at first hand the impact diplomacy has on people’s lives, their jobs, their families, their futures. I feel passionately about what I do, because it is fundamentally about helping people, about making the world a safer place. So it’s a huge honor for me to be in the Philippines, serving my country.
I’m here with my wife, Rachael, and our two cats Charlie and Lupin ( pusakal from Bangkok!). We were able to use Philippine Airlines’ direct flight from Heathrow ( Airport) to NAIA ( Ninoy Aquino International Airport) to get here — and what a brilliant service that is! Everyone has been incredibly warm and welcoming in our first weeks here. We both count ourselves very lucky.
I come from London. My father was a tailor. My mother a seamstress. They worked hard to bring up four boys. I am the youngest. My parents taught me that whatever you do, try to be the absolute best at it. I know they would be thrilled and proud if they were alive today. Just as I am proud of them, my family and my roots.
In getting ready for the job, I met people right across the British government. That ref lects the broad range of our relationship: trade and investment; security; tackling global issues like climate change — the list goes on. I hope we can work in partnership with the Philippines tackling the scourges of people trafficking and modernday slavery — a particular priority for the British government.
I also tried to learn a little Tagalog before I came here. It’s a beautiful language but difficult to learn. I’ll carry on with my lessons in Manila. Mahuhusay ang mga guro ko! It’s important because language opens a window into culture, history and the way a nation thinks. But I apologize in advance for the many linguistic mistakes I will make in the next four years!
I presented my credentials to President Rodrigo R. Duterte last September. Only at that point did I formally become British Ambassador and could fully and freely represent the UK. I told the President that it’s an enormous honor to have been entrusted with this responsibility and that I would do all I could to strengthen the relations between our countries. Those will remain my guiding principles as I set about my work over the next four years.