Our new man in Madrid
Exclusive interview with the Head of Mission at the British Embassy
Turn to page 19 for our exclusive interview with Tim Hemmings, the new Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Madrid.
THE newly appointed Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Madrid, Tim Hemmings, paid a visit to the Costa Blanca at the beginning of the week, where he met with CBNews for an exclusive interview.
He arrived in Spain only a month ago, but has already managed to visit three of the nine consulates here in a bid to familiarise himself with the huge task that lies ahead.
His responsibilities include the daily management of the Embassy and Consulates and advising the Ambassador on relevant issues that arise from his dealings with consular staff, plus deputising when the Ambassador is away - which should certainly keep him busy!
A London boy, he was born in Ealing, but the family moved to Crystal Palace when he was one, which is where he spent his formative years.
He attended Cambridge, where he read law, and was offered an internship at a City firm, where many of his peers headed for a legal career.
However, Tim did not follow that path and instead took up a place offered on the European Fast Stream (EFS) to embark on a career in the Foreign Office, heading up the European Union Department and the Future of Europe Department in London, which also saw him posted to Brussels twice.
He is a fluent French speaker, which, having spent eight years in Brussels was a necessity, and is gradually mastering Spanish – though at this moment sticking with Castellano before considering the many other dialects spoken across Spain.
During his stint in Brussels he played a key role in the UK’s representation within the EU, and in the light of the country’s unexpected Brexit result is unintentionally the ideal man to have on board… although his posting was in place well before the referendum vote.
He will be based in Madrid on a fouryear contract and will be a key advisor to both the Ambassador, Simon Manley, and the Foreign Office in London.
He will feedback on the fears, feelings and anxiety felt by businesses who have dealings with the UK, both British and Spanish, including big players such as Santander, as well as British expatriates living here in Spain during this mammoth separation process from the EU.
His message is clear: “We are not anti- European. We are, and will continue to be, major global players.
"It is far too early to even visualise or preempt how negotiations will proceed and the scaremongering is not calming people's concerns and apprehensions," he said. “That is my challenge.”
"It will certainly be a long and lengthy process, but important and technical issues are worth taking time over. Yet we recognise the need not to prolong the process unnecessarily. Uncertainty isn’t helpful."
Just as many British nationals reside in Spain, there are many Spaniards who live and work in the UK, who also have similar concerns.
He is all too aware of their importance to the UK economy, with a sister who is a teacher and brother a nurse, both of whom have many work colleagues who are Spanish nationals.
The reciprocal health agreement is not exclusively a worry for retired expats here and something that Tim takes on board as one of their main worries.
He will be getting out and meeting as many people as possible across the country, to ascertain what questions people are asking and feeding that back to London, which he envisages visiting every other month.
It is his first experience of the Costa Blanca, although he has travelled extensively across other parts of Spain on holiday with his wife, who has taken up a position as Head of Mathematics at the highly prestigious Kings College, the British School of Madrid.
'Gracias' and ' Buena suerte' Tim. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with you.