David Clay (@dave

David Clay

3,772 posts

David Clay

@dave_clay

UK Consul General to New England, based in Boston. Previous postings in Egypt, Libya and New York (UN). Lover of history, innovation and running.

London, England

Joined February 2011

Pinned
David Clay
@dave_clay
Jul 18, 2024
Absolutely delighted to announce that I’ll be moving to Boston next month to take over as British Consul General to New England. Thank you @FCDOPeterAbbott for all the incredible work you have done in the role over the last four years.
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Jun 23, 2023
On this day in 1940, the Ambassador and the last five members of the British Embassy in Paris abandoned their cars on the beach at Arcachon (near Bourdeaux) and were picked up by a sardine fishing boat organised by a young intelligence officer called Ian Fleming.🧵
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Aug 2, 2023
British diplomat Sir Peter Marshall died in June this year. He finished his Foreign Office career as UK Permanent Representative in Geneva (1979-83) before becoming Deputy SG of the Commonwealth (1983-88). Here are his ten precepts of diplomacy. 🧵
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Apr 25, 2022
Would you have passed the exam to become a Foreign Office clerk in 1876? Here’s the Constitutional History of England paper. You have three hours.
David Clay
@dave_clay
Apr 26, 2022
It turns out that you’re all really into 19th century civil service exams. So here’s part 2 of the 1876 exam to become a Foreign Office clerk: History of Europe 1783-1847. You have three hours. You may begin. 🧵
David Clay
@dave_clay
Jun 22, 2021
Everyone loves an inbox full of emails but the old Foreign Office system of delivering messages around the building by pneumatic tubes had a touch more flair.
David Clay
@dave_clay
Feb 10, 2022
On 8 January 1971, the British Ambassador to Uruguay Geoffrey Jackson kissed his wife goodbye and left for the Embassy. She was in the bath and he remembered how her lips were wet. He would not see her again for 244 days. (1/16)
David Clay
@dave_clay
Feb 14, 2023
Daniel Varè was an Italian diplomat. In 1929, he wrote “The Handbook of the Perfect Diplomat”. He included extracts in his 1938 autobiography “The Laughing Diplomat”. Here are seven pieces of advice from the Handbook:
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Aug 5, 2024
Just in case anyone tries to convince you a career in the Foreign Office is all glamour, here I am at 11.30pm typing up my packing list and writing luggage tags for my air freight on an ironing board.
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Nov 13, 2023
In 1716, François de Callières wrote a short practical treatise on diplomacy. It became a core text for trainee diplomats for centuries. It was ahead of its time in many ways, arguing for a professional and merit-based diplomatic service Here are 10 pieces of advice on drafting:
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Aug 2, 2023
Replying to @dave_clay
All of this is taken from the final chapter of Sir Peter’s book “Positive Diplomacy” (1997) which of course goes into all of these points in more detail and with more nuance. End of 🧵
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David Clay
@dave_clay
May 18, 2024
I’ve been after a copy of this 1949 guide for ages. It was published at a bit of a tipping point for the Foreign Office - it was starting to recruit from a broader x-section of society and the fear was that these new diplomats wouldn’t know how to behave when they went abroad. 🧵
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David Clay
@dave_clay
Feb 10, 2022
Replying to @dave_clay
This has been a long thread. But it’s a fascinating story and Sir Geoffrey Jackson deserves not to be forgotten. Thanks for sticking with it to the end. (16/16)
David Clay
@dave_clay
Aug 2, 2023
Replying to @dave_clay
4. The confusion theory of politics is generally a better guide than the conspiracy theory. “The role played by chance, coincidence, internecine rivalry, distraction, ignorance, fatigue, illness and at times even caprice, may have been decisive”
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