Downing Street drops political pick, eyes career envoy for Washington

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is poised to appoint a career diplomat as the United Kingdom’s next ambassador to the United States, abandoning earlier plans for a political nominee after his top business adviser, Varun Chandra, withdrew from contention.

For months, Downing Street had weighed a non-traditional appointment to succeed Dame Karen Pierce, with the aim of installing an envoy capable of bridging the Labour government and an incoming Trump administration. That strategy has now given way to a more conventional choice from within the civil service, reflecting a desire for stability as transatlantic relations enter a potentially volatile phase, Bloomberg reports.

Chandra, a former head of the corporate intelligence firm Hakluyt and a central figure in Starmer’s inner circle, had been widely viewed as a frontrunner. His private-equity background and extensive US network were seen as advantages in dealing with a White House expected to emphasize trade negotiations and transactional diplomacy. However, he has opted to remain in his current role as the prime minister’s special adviser on business and investment, where officials say he is indispensable to the government’s economic growth agenda.

With Chandra’s exit, attention has shifted decisively toward senior Foreign Office figures with long diplomatic résumés. Among the leading candidates are Sir Christian Turner, a seasoned diplomat who has served as high commissioner to Pakistan and held senior posts in the Cabinet Office, and Nigel Casey, the current UK ambassador to Russia, noted for his experience managing relations in high-tension political environments.

Career diplomats are viewed as better equipped to preserve continuity in intelligence sharing and defence cooperation, including commitments under AUKUS, while avoiding the partisan sensitivities that could accompany a Labour-aligned political appointee in dealings with a Republican administration. Their institutional memory is also seen as critical for navigating complex tariff and trade negotiations that Donald Trump is expected to prioritize.

The government is expected to finalize and announce the appointment within days, as London moves swiftly to ensure a new envoy is in place to engage with the Trump transition team ahead of the January 20 inauguration.

By Vafa Guliyeva