Insight with Lord Malloch-Brown: An Unlikely Diplomat

Unlikely diplomat Lord Mark Malloch-Brown has never been afraid to speak his mind on Britain’s role on foreign policy and continues to divide opinion in his current role as Minister for Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

An outspoken opponent to the war in Iraq, he has criticised the Bush administration for its lack of support to the UN and said that the UK and the US are no longer “joined at the hip”. Instead, he has talked about building on Britain’s partnerships with its European neighbours and broadening its international alliances to embrace NGOs such as Oxfam and Save the Children as well as terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the interests of dialogue.

He has endorsed celebrity campaigning on Darfur and supported Spielberg’s withdrawal of support for the Olympics over China’s human rights record. He was the first British minister to visit Burma for 15 years in the wake of the recent cyclone. Most recently he has called on the British government to impose sanctions on Mugabe.

We talk to Lord Malloch-Brown about his unique take on British foreign policy as well as his time as former deputy secretary general to the UN.

Richard Beeston is foreign editor of The Times.