Philip Barton

Sir Philip Robert Barton KCMG OBE (born 18 August 1963) is the current British High Commissioner to India; he was High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2014 to 2016.[1][2] In August 2020 it was announced that Sir Philip would become Permanent Under-Secretary of the newly formed Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, assuming this position in September 2020.[3]

Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE
Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Affairs Head of HM Diplomatic Service
Designate
Assumed office September 2020
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Sec. of State	Dominic Raab
Preceded by	Sir Simon McDonald (as Permanent under Secretary to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
British High Commissioner to India
In office 2020–2020
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Sir Dominic Asquith
Director-General, Consular and Security
In office 2017–2020
Prime Minister	Theresa May Boris Johnson
Succeeded by	Thomas Drew
Personal details
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Amanda Barton
Children	2 (1 daughter, 1 son)
Alma mater	Warwick University London School of Economics
Occupation	Diplomat

Career

Barton gained a BA degree from Warwick University and a MSc in economics from the London School of Economics. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1986 and served at Caracas, New Delhi, at the FCO, and on secondment to the Cabinet Office and as a private secretary to the Prime Minister. He was deputy High Commissioner to Cyprus 2000–04; deputy Governor of Gibraltar 2005–08 (with a spell as acting Governor in 2006); Director, South Asia, at the FCO 2008–09; Director, Foreign Policy and Afghanistan, and Pakistan Co-ordinator at the Cabinet Office 2009–11; deputy head of mission at Washington, D.C. 2011–14; and was appointed High Commissioner to Pakistan from January 2014.[4][5][6] He left Islamabad at the end of his assignment on 11 February 2016 and took up a post as Director General Consular & Security at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London, which he left in January 2020 to assume the role of High Commissioner to India, with the presentation of his credentials to the President of India on 08 July, 2020.[2][1][7]

Honours

Barton was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1997 Birthday Honours,[8] Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2007 Birthday Honours,[9] and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to British foreign policy.[10]

Action as High Commissioner to Pakistan

Anti-tobacco movements in Pakistan and in the UK blamed Philip Barton for his participation in a delegation led by British American Tobacco in 2015 to complain about the Pakistani government's decision to increase the size of health warnings on cigarette packs. "Inside sources at the Health Ministry confirmed the participation of the British High Commissioner in the meeting as a member of the delegation."[11][12][13]

References

1. "Philip Barton - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
2. Change of British High Commissioner, British High Commission Islamabad, 11 February 2016.
3. "Sir Philip Barton appointed as Permanent Under-Secretary of new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office".
4. BARTON, Philip Robert, Who's Who 2014, A & C Black, 2014; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2013
5. Philip Barton, British High Commissioner to Pakistan, gov.uk
6. New British High Commissioner arrives in Pakistan, British High Commission Islamabad, 15 January 2014
7. "Envoys of three nations present Credentials through Video Conference". Retrieved 23 July 2020.
8. "No. 54794". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 June 1997. p. 24.
9. "No. 58358". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2007. p. 3.
10. "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N4.
11. BAT team asks govt to withdraw decision
12. Lured by revenues’ argument, Dar forms committee
13. Action on Smoking and Health article: Pakistan: BAT team asks govt to withdraw decision

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Dominick Chilcott	Deputy Ambassador to the USA 2011–2013	Succeeded by Patrick Davies
Preceded by Sir Adam Thomson	High Commissioner to Pakistan 2014–2016	Succeeded by Thomas Drew
Preceded by Sir Dominic Asquith	High Commissioner to India 2020-present