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Philip Barton

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Philip Barton
KCMG OBE
Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs
Head of HM Diplomatic Service
Incumbent
Assumed office
2 September 2020
Foreign SecretaryDominic Raab
Liz Truss
James Cleverly
David Cameron
David Lammy
Preceded bySimon McDonald[a]
British High Commissioner to India
In office
June 2020 – August 2020
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byDominic Asquith
Succeeded byAlex Ellis
British High Commissioner to Pakistan
In office
January 2014 – 11 February 2016
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Preceded byAdam Thomson
Succeeded byThomas Drew
Personal details
Born (1963-08-18) 18 August 1963 (age 61)
NationalityBritish
SpouseAmanda Barton
Children2
Alma materWarwick University
London School of Economics
OccupationDiplomat

Sir Philip Robert Barton KCMG OBE (born 18 August 1963) is a British diplomat, currently the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. He was previously British High Commissioner to India; he was High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2014 to 2016.[1][2]

Early life and education

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Barton was born on 18 August 1963. He studied economics and politics at Warwick University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, and economics at the London School of Economics, graduating with a Master of Science (MSc) degree.[3]

Career

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Barton joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1986 and served at Caracas, New Delhi, at the FCO, and on secondment to the Cabinet Office and as a private secretary to the Prime Minister. He was deputy High Commissioner to Cyprus 2000–04; deputy Governor of Gibraltar 2005–08 (with a spell as acting Governor in 2006); Director, South Asia, at the FCO 2008–09; Director, Foreign Policy and Afghanistan, and Pakistan Co-ordinator at the Cabinet Office 2009–11; deputy head of mission at Washington, D.C. 2011–14; and was appointed High Commissioner to Pakistan from January 2014.[4][5][6] Anti-tobacco movements in Pakistan and in the UK blamed Barton for his participation in a delegation led by British American Tobacco in 2015 to complain about the Pakistani government's decision to increase the size of health warnings on cigarette packs. "Inside sources at the Health Ministry confirmed the participation of the British High Commissioner in the meeting as a member of the delegation."[7][8][9] He left Islamabad at the end of his assignment on 11 February 2016 and took up a post as Director General Consular & Security at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London, which he left in January 2020 to assume the role of High Commissioner to India, with the presentation of his credentials to the President of India on 8 July 2020.[2][1][10] He was the shortest-serving High Commissioner to India on record.[11] He departed this role and became the first Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the newly combined Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs Office and thus Head of HM Diplomatic Service on 2 September 2020. He succeeded Sir Simon McDonald who had served since 2015.

In 2021, Sir Philip apologised for the treatment of gay staff: “The ban was in place because there was a perception that LGBT people were more susceptible than their straight counterparts to blackmail and, therefore, that they posed a security risk. Because of this misguided view, people’s careers were ended, cut short, or stopped before they could even begin. And the diplomatic service undoubtedly deprived itself of some of the UK’s brightest and best talent. I want to apologise publicly for the ban and the impact it had on our LGBT staff and their loved ones, both here in the UK and abroad.”[12]

In December 2021, he admitted failing to show leadership after he began a three-week holiday two days before the Foreign Office internally accepted Kabul was about to fall to the Taliban. Sir Philip remained on holiday until 28 August. During questioning by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, he admitted this was a mistake.[13]

In January 2024, he was criticised by the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Alicia Kearns, for being reticent to agree that Israel has a duty under international law to not block water access to Gaza.[14]

In November 2024 Barton stated he will resign January 2025. Sir Philip became permanent secretary in 2020 but will leave before the full five-year terms achieved by his two predecessors.[15]

Honours

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Barton was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1997 Birthday Honours,[16] Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2007 Birthday Honours[17] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to British foreign policy.[18]

Notes

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  1. ^ as Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office

References

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  1. ^ a b "Philip Barton - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b Change of British High Commissioner, British High Commission Islamabad, 11 February 2016.
  3. ^ "Barton, Philip Robert, (born 18 Aug. 1963), HM Diplomatic Service; Director General, Consular and Security, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, since 2017". Who's Who 2020. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2019. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U41906. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4.
  4. ^ BARTON, Philip Robert, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013
  5. ^ Philip Barton, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, gov.uk
  6. ^ New British High Commissioner arrives in Pakistan, British High Commission Islamabad, 15 January 2014
  7. ^ BAT team asks govt to withdraw decision
  8. ^ Lured by revenues' argument, Dar forms committee
  9. ^ Action on Smoking and Health article: Pakistan: BAT team asks govt to withdraw decision
  10. ^ "Envoys of three nations present Credentials through Video Conference". Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  11. ^ Canton, Naomi (3 August 2020). "Shortest serving UK High Commissioner ever quits after 3 weeks". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  12. ^ "UK Foreign Office apologises for historic ban on LGBTQ staff". 5 July 2021.
  13. ^ Top civil servant regrets holiday while Afghanistan fell to Taliban
  14. ^ Wintour, Patrick (9 January 2024). "UK government accepts Israel has legal duty to provide basic supplies to Gaza". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  15. ^ Philip Barton to step down as Foreign Office chief
  16. ^ "No. 54794". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1997. p. 24.
  17. ^ "No. 58358". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2007. p. 3.
  18. ^ "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N4.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by British High Commissioner to Pakistan
2014–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by British High Commissioner to India
2020 		Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
2020–present 		Incumbent
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