Whoever replaces Dame Karen Pierce in Washington will have big diplomatic shoes to fill. Since 2020 the charming and articulate ambassador with a flamboyant taste in dresses has kept Britain’s reputation in the United States on an even keel despite domestic turmoil.
With two big-beast Blairites in the frame for the job, Government insiders point to a newly emerging trend of countries appointing “names” who have convening power to bring other big hitters – including heads of state – to the negotiating table.
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, now the country’s ambassador to the US, is seen a success in Washington for his ability to bring people together.
Much as some in Labour circles dislike David Cameron, there is also a recognition that as a former prime minister he punched above his weight as Conservative foreign secretary, managing to secure meetings with heads of state including Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sir Keir Starmer is unlikely come to a conclusion about the appointment of Britain’s next US ambassador until it becomes more obvious who will win the White House in November’s presidential election.
Peter Mandelson, a former European trade commissioner, is seen by some in government as a wily enough operator to wrangle a Donald Trump presidency, where persuading a Nato-sceptic administration to keep funding Ukraine will be paramount.
Meanwhile, according to sources, a second Biden term may make former Labour foreign secretary David Miliband – now the head of the International Rescue Committee – the favoured choice.
Back at home, as a Whitehall insider, Sue Gray will have been aware of Tim Barrow jockeying for position to succeed Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the UK’s former national security adviser.
When Barrow was promoted to the top job, Lovegrove was sidelined to become former PM Liz Truss’s defence industrial adviser. The diplomatic reshuffle was overshadowed by Truss sacking Treasury mandarin Tom Scholar at around the same time in October 2022.
The role of UK ambassador to the US is seen as the crown posting for career diplomats who have plugged away for decades in insalubrious and dusty outposts far away from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in King Charles Street, which runs parallel to Downing Street.
The suggestion of a political appointment – however well-regarded – may prompt some rearguard lobbying by career civil servants.