Lord (Kim) Darroch KCMG

Former British Ambassador, United States, and Former British Representative, EU at Diplomatic Service

Speaker

Kim Darroch is the former British Ambassador to the United States, and former British Representative to the EU. Drawing on over forty years’ experience of diplomatic service, Kim shares vital lessons on international relations, geopolitics and leadership.

Joining the Diplomatic Service straight from university, Kim went on to hold a diverse range of offices including Private Secretary to the Minister of State responsible for the Middle East, and Head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office News Department. He was Head of the Adriatic Department during the Balkans conflict, and served in Rome and Tokyo. He later assumed the role of British Representative to the European Union, navigating the UK’s diplomatic position through complex issues around the financial crisis and the future of the UK’s relationship with the EU. Asked by David Cameron to become Britain’s National Security Adviser, Kim counselled Downing Street through a tempestuous era of crises including the rise of Islamic State, the Russian annexation of Crimea, and the revolution in Libya.

Kim subsequently served as the British Ambassador to the United States for three years, during a period of unprecedented geopolitical turbulence incorporating the first Trump Presidency and the aftermath of Brexit. With his tenure cut short after the much-publicised leak of diplomatic cables, Kim is uniquely placed to offer rare insights into dealing with media scrutiny and coping under pressure.

In his book Collateral Damage: Britain, America and Europe in the Age of Trump, Kim examines the key issues facing policy makers on both sides of the Atlantic, from national security to trade to global economics. In a time of uncertainty and shifting alliances, he explores how to make decisions, analyse challenges and balance competing priorities. He also reflects on the ups and downs of four decades in the Diplomatic Service, and reveals the strange world of being an ambassador.

Kim is the chairperson of non-partisan campaign group Best for Britain. He was appointed a Companion of Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG), a Knight Commander (KCMG) and a life peer in the House of Lords