Sir Christian Turner

The newly-appointed British ambassador to the United States, Sir Christian Turner, is a career diplomat whose experience spans almost three decades. He was about to take up the role of the UK's ambassador at the UN but after Lord Mandelson was abruptly pulled from his ambassadorial role in the US late last year, Sir Keir Starmer diverted Turner to replace him.

Born in Crawley in 1972, Turner attended the prestigious Marlborough College, before pursuing English literature at the University of Manchester, and later a doctorate at York. After flirting with documentary-making, he pivoted to public service, entering the Cabinet Office in the late nineties. He has closely advised several prime ministers, including Theresa May with whom colleagues say he shared his love of card games.

After an initial posting to Washington ended in 2006, his career has flourished at the foreign office. Mark Coles finds out more about the UK’s new man in DC, as he prepares to navigate ties with the Trump administration in a delicate moment for the so-called ‘special relationship’.

Contributors:

Lord Peter Ricketts, former National Security Adviser Sir Simon Fraser, former Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and current chair of Chatham House. Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Rachel Barber-Mack, sister-in-law Richard Cooke, Royal Choral Society musical director Jerry Koehler, Royal Choral Society singer James Perry, friend Richard Warlow, friend Joel Burden, friend

Production team:

Producers: Ben Carter, Katie Solleveld and Laurie Kalus Sound: Rod Farquhar Production co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele and Katie Morrison Editor: Justine Lang

Archive:

KTN News Kenya BBC News APTN

Note of Correction:  In this episode we incorrectly referred to the Mau Mau tribe in Kenya. It should have been the Mau Mau uprising.