Lammy brings Ed Llewellyn into FCDO
In a surprise cross-party appointment, Lord Ed Llewellyn, David Cameron’s former chief of staff, is set to become political director at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), advising Labour foreign secretary David Lammy on international strategy.
Llewellyn, who most recently served as Britain’s ambassador to Italy, will step into a civil service role as Lammy’s strategic foreign policy fixer. The move comes as part of a broader shake-up by FCDO permanent secretary Sir Olly Robbins, who is overhauling the department to prioritise its global reach over its Whitehall structure.
Bridging political divides
Llewellyn, a veteran Conservative operator, was a key figure in Cameron’s Downing Street team from 2010 to 2016, before being appointed ambassador to Paris. While his background raised eyebrows among career diplomats at the time, his experience in international diplomacy, from Brussels to Sarajevo, has earned respect across party lines.
The appointment is seen as part of a growing trend under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, where foreign policy posts are increasingly going to well-connected outsiders, often with political or corporate backgrounds.
Radical restructuring
Robbins, himself a former Brexit negotiator and not a career diplomat, has cut senior management roles at FCDO headquarters from nine to six and slashed the number of directors from 50 to 30. Senior officials had to reapply for their own jobs in a process designed to streamline the London operation and refocus resources overseas.
He has also hired Helena Vega-Lozano from Deloitte as chief operating officer, further signalling a break from tradition in favour of private sector-style leadership.
The recruitment of non-traditional figures like Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington, Jonathan Powell as national security adviser, and Michael Ellam to manage UK-EU relations, reinforces Labour’s strategy of importing heavyweight experience into foreign policy roles.
Despite some disquiet within the diplomatic corps, an FCDO spokesperson insisted that all appointments followed a “rigorous and open competition” overseen by the Civil Service Commission.
Applications for remaining leadership roles are ongoing, as Robbins implements what he has described as a “significant” shift in how Britain conducts its foreign affairs.
