David Lammy has delivered his first major speech as Foreign Secretary…on climate change. Lammy declared the “climate emergency” the “most profound and universal source of global disorder”, posing a “more fundamental” threat to the world than terrorism or autocrats. The climate warrior said:

“The threat may not feel as urgent as a terrorist or an imperialist autocrat, but it is more fundamental. It is systemic, pervasive and accelerating towards us.”

The Foreign Secretary only mentioned the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East once – to dismiss them:

“Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have dominated my time in office so far, but I was very clear in opposition that in this job I would focus on the most profound and universal source of global disorder: The climate and nature emergency”.

Hamas and Putin will be pleased to hear that…

Foreign Secretary David Lammy, die-hard Remainer whose fervour eclipses even Starmer’s, is sure to relish his new role as an architect of closer EU ties. Though he might find it tricker to deal with US-UK relations considering his previous vehement anti-Trump views if he reclaims the White House. If co-conspirators hoped that his trusty new SpAds would keep his hardline views in check, they may be disappointed…

Ben Judah, formerly of Europe promoting think-tank Atlantic Council and journalist, has had some choice comments on President Trump over the years. During Trump’s 2016 campaign, he wrote that Trump’s supporters didn’t care about his more controversial background as “Outside DC, where the voters might struggle to place Ukraine on a map or tell the difference between Nafta and Nato… White America can’t always get what it wants”. He later wrote a damning diagnosis of his election in the Guardian:

 “Trump’s election was a symptom of a foreign policy paradigm in terminal decline… Trump is, of course, not alone. From Benjamin Netanyahu to Vladimir Putin, rightwing leaders are practicing foreign politics to advance their personal interests”. 

Meanwhile, SpAd Will Heilpern will no doubt be an echo-chamber for EU loving Lammy, who called for a People’s Vote on Brexit in order “to save the country from this hard-right Tory fantasy, which was built on xenophobia, lies and a law-breaking campaign”. No wonder he loved Remoaner Corbyn so much:

To be fair to Lammy, at least this time he allowed men into his team, something he famously refused to do as he was “determined to get a woman”. He clearly opted for the ‘surround yourself with yes-men’ approach…

The UK’s ambassador to Mexico has been fired after shooting himself in the foot by pointing an assault rifle at an embassy employee, according to the Financial Times. The video of the British ambassador, Jon Benjamin, blew up after it was posted on X by an anonymous account apparently loaded with angry embassy staffers fed up with their mistreatment. The video was seen by the Foreign Office, which ultimately lead to Benjamin’s career going up in smoke… 

The video shows a gun-wielding Benjamin aiming the rifle to his staff member. “In a context of daily killings in Mexico by drug dealers, he dares to joke,” the anonymous account said alongside it. Laughing in the face of danger…

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is agog today as an inquest in Gibraltar outlines how fragile their relationships with the rest of the world really are. A hugely expensive KC-fuelled inquest into the resignation of the former Chief of Police in Gibraltar, Ian McGrail, will focus on the fractious relationship between Britain and Spain over the future of the British controlled “Rock”. A dispute that continues to this day.

Evidence will hear that the hapless McGrail – whose force was described as a mix between The Sweeney and Life on Mars – drew opprobrium from FCO careerist Nick Pyle as acting Governor, when the Royal Gibraltar Police Force smashed into an alleged smuggler’s boat in Spanish waters killing two men in 2020. Pyle was vastly concerned that this action, and a subsequent legal action by the dead men’s families, would affect the delicate post Brexit negotiations over Gibraltar and used it as an excuse to encourage McGrail from office.

Luckily for the FCO, help is at hand from leftie lawyers at Doughty Street Chambers whose young KC Ben Cooper is furthering McGrail’s “early retirement.” Which is odd. As batting for McGrail are two other Doughty Street Chambers briefs Adam Wagner and Caolifhionn Gallagher KC, who have racked up a combined £212,672 in bills so far. Whoever comes on top from the Doughty Street Chambers teams the FCO will be sweating.

A couple more SpAd movements for Guido to tell you about following last week’s changes. Guido can reveal that the former Director of Communications at the Conservative party Caroline Preston has joined as a ‘temporary’ SpAd to Lord Cameron until the Foreign Office find a more permanent media SpAd. She knows m’Lord well, having been his head of Broadcasting in his second term in office. She’s known as a robust force in SW1…

Long-term Cameroon Laurence Mann has followed David to the Foreign Office. Mann has been advising Cameron since he was Prime Minister in 2010, and then followed him to be his office’s Chief of Staff for the last seven years. Cameron has also brought in a fellow Lords member, Baroness Liz Sugg, to bring in Foreign Office experience – her last stint at the FCDO ended in 2020, when she resigned after Sunak cut the foreign aid budget. Good luck… 

Let Guido know any more moves…

Following Putin’s unhinged press conference formally annexing Ukrainian territories in the south east – and then holding hands with his cronies like some sort of horror ritual – the Foreign Office has announced even tighter sanctions on the Russian state. These include an export ban on nearly 700 industrial and tech goods, and a ban on Russian access to various western services such as IT consultancy, and engineering services. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also released a fierce statement:

“The UK utterly condemns Putin’s announcement of the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory. We will never recognise the results of these sham referendums or any annexation of Ukrainian territory. The Russian regime must be held to account for this abhorrent violation of international law. That’s why we are working with our international partners to ramp up the economic pressure through new targeted services bans. What happens in Ukraine matters to us all, and the UK will do everything possible to assist their fight for freedom.”

Meanwhile Zelenskyy has announced Ukraine is applying for full NATO membership…