Sir Dominic Anthony Gerard Asquith KCMG (born 7 February 1957) is a British career diplomat and former Ambassador to Iraq, Egypt, and Libya. He was First Secretary at the British Embassy in Washington DC. He was most recently the British High Commissioner to the Republic of India.[1]
Background and education
editAsquith is the younger son of The 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith and Anne (born Palairet). He is a great-grandson of H. H. Asquith, the former British Prime Minister. Asquith's elder brother Raymond, father Lord Oxford, and maternal grandfather Sir Michael Palairet, all served as British diplomats. Like his father and brother, he was educated at Ampleforth College.
In 1975 he was involved in the Musa Alami project in the West Bank, Palestine, and worked as a researcher at the Institute of Palestine Studies in Beirut.
In 1981 he worked as a freelance journalist in Amman, Jordan and then as the Executive Secretary to the Parliamentary Association for Euro-Arab Co-operation in London, until 1983.
Diplomatic career
editAsquith joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1983 as part of the Soviet department and served at Damascus, Muscat, Washington, D.C., Buenos Aires and Riyadh before being appointed Deputy Head of Mission in Iraq in 2004, Director of the Iraq Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2004–06 and Ambassador to Iraq 2006–07. He was Ambassador to Egypt 2007–11 and Ambassador to Libya 2011–12.
On 4 December 2009, Asquith gave evidence before Parliament to The Iraq Inquiry.[2]
Asquith survived an assassination attempt in June 2012 when a British convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.[3] In September 2012 Asquith had to extend a routine break from Libya for medical treatment[4] and in January 2013 he was officially replaced by Michael Aron.[5]
Asquith was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2004,[6] and knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2012 New Year Honours.[7][8]
After spending a few years in the private sector, Asquith returned to diplomatic life, taking charge as High Commissioner to India in April 2016.[9] He concluded his four-year stint in India[10] in January 2020.[9]
Outside work
editIn May 2013 Asquith took an unpaid position leading a trade delegation to Libya organised by the Libyan British Business Council.[11]
In June 2013 Sir Dominic took a paid position as senior consultant with Tatweer Research, a Libyan research and development company, specialising in technology and engineering.[12]
Career overview
edit- 1983–1984 Diplomat, Soviet Dept
- 1984–1985 Diplomat, Southern Europe Dept
- 1986–1987 Second Secretary, Damascus, Syria
- 1987–1989 First Secretary (Chancery), Muscat
- 1989–1990 Diplomat, EC Dept (Internal) Dept
- 1990–1992 Private Secretary to Minister of State FCO
- 1992–1996 First Secretary, Washington DC, USA
- 1996 Drugs and International Crime Dept FCO
- 1997–2001 Minister and Dep Head of Mission, Buenos Aires
- 2001–2004 Deputy Head of Mission and Consul-General, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 2004 Deputy Special Representative for Iraq, and Deputy Head of Mission, Baghdad, Iraq
- 2004–2006 Director Iraq, FCO
- 2006–2007 HM Ambassador to Iraq
- 2007–2011 HM Ambassador to Egypt
- 2011–2012 UK Special Representative, then Ambassador, to Libya
- 2013–2015 Senior Advisor, Dentons LLP
- 2016–2020 British High Commissioner to India
Personal life
editAsquith was married in 1988 to Louise Cotton, who had worked as a secretary in the British Foreign Office and resigned upon her marriage. Sir Dominic and Lady Asquith have four children:[13][14]
- Gabriela Elizabeth Louise Asquith (b. 1989)
- Helena Lucy Anne Asquith (b. 1990)
- Thomas Anthony Gerard Asquith (b. 1992)
- William Raphael Augustine Asquith (b. 1994)
References
edit- ^ "Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG".
- ^ Transcript of Dominic Asquith Archived 20 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Iraq Inquiry, 7 December 2009
- ^ Al-Tommy, Mohammed (11 June 2012). "British envoy's convoy ambushed in Libya, two wounded". Reuters.
- ^ Michael Aron, formerly Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Iraq, will be temporarily replacing Sir Dominic Asquith as Acting Head of Mission in Libya, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 13 September 2012
- ^ Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Libya, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 14 January 2013
- ^ Honours and Awards Archived 4 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No. 60009". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 3.
- ^ New Year Honours List 2012: full list, Telegraph.co.uk
- ^ a b Canton, Naomi (3 August 2020). "Shortest serving UK High Commissioner ever quits after 3 weeks". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ "UK appoints Philip Barton as High Commissioner to India". The Week. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
- ^ ACOBA Asquith LBBC Archived 23 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, 12 April 2013
- ^ ACOBA Asquith Tatweer Archived 24 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 26 June 2013
- ^ ASQUITH, Hon. Sir Dominic (Anthony Gerard), Who's Who 2013, A & C Black, 2013; online edn, Oxford University Press
- ^ The Peerage, entry for Hon Sir Dominic Asquith