Smith leaves ‘world’s greatee
Kiwi diplomat heading home to ‘greatest little country’ but it’s an emotional time for him, w
The view from the penthouse of New Zealand House is one of the best in London and Sir Lockwood Smith has enjoyed it for the past four years. In just over a month he will leave what he calls the “greatest city in the world” to return to what he calls the “greatest little country in the world”.
It is an emotional time for him. In the penthouse at a reception for Prime Minister Bill English on his visit to London in early January, Smith gets quite choked up when he talks about the New Zealanders living in London and the great deeds they have done.
Despite a gentle ribbing, Smith gets quite choked up again the next day when he is talking about the same thing during an interview with the Herald in his London office.
“It gives me huge pride. This city is amazing.”
He leaves the job of High Commissioner at a crucial time for New Zealand-British relations, courtesy of the Brexit vote in Britain.
English’s visit was a success, securing a commitment from British Prime Minister Theresa May for New Zealand to be one of the top of the list for a trade agreement post-Brexit.
Words and reality are two different things however, and the Brexit vote made the London posting a lot more important than the “plum posting” it was when Smith started there in 2013.
Smith himself says the job was much harder work than he had expected. “I had no idea before I came here.”
That only intensified after the Brexit referendum. On the night of the referendum results, Smith was in Scotland. He set his alarm to go off Sir Lockwood Smith on Sir Jerry Mateparae, who succeeds him as New Zealand High Commissioner in London every two hours to check the results.
“By 2am I thought ‘goodness, this is interesting’. By 4am, it was clear the vote had gone in favour of Brexit. And it has changed things and influenced the work I’ve been doing here.”
He said in the trade area in particular he found his counsel called on — not least because Britain had not had to negotiate its own trade agreements for 40 years while New Zealand had built up a great catalogue of experience.
Smith says the aim is not just to secure a free trade agreement for itself, but to have some influence over the UK’s broader trade strategy.
Political appointments to overseas postings have been controversial and Smith was no different.
He has been a target of NZ First leader Winston Peters in particular.
Peters criticised Smith’s appointment when it was first confirmed, saying politicians should not be appointed Speaker with the inducement of a knighthood and a plum diplomatic post to follow.
But Smith says the turmoil of recent times shows the value in having an ex-politician in such posts as London and Washington.
His own background includes farming and stints as Trade Minister and Agriculture Minister — all jobs which have come in handy during Brexit.
“I wondered whether being a political appointment was a good idea or not, and I think it is. Because you do get cut through. Having been a minister you can be on a more even footing with key players here.”
His successor, Sir Jerry Mateparae, is not a former politician, but has a background in the SAS, followed by Chief of Defence and head of the SIS before he was made the GovernorGeneral.
Smith is swift to insist Mateparae’s standing was greater than that of a expolitician. “He’s one of the most distinguished New Zealanders. And that sort of thing counts up here.”
He expected Mateparae’s interests to be in different areas to his own, such as defence, intelligence and security.
“I believe you should play to your strengths. His sheer standing will hold him in great stead.”
Smith says he avoids the diplomatic social circles — “it’s a waste of time really”. Instead he mixes in political and sector groups with an occasional visit to the ballet or opera tossed in.