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The Resident Clerks are proving popular! Here is another picture of them at work in 1941. It’s obviously staged as all three appear to be working at the same time. But you get the idea. Admire the monocle and pipe! Anthony Montague Brown’s ‘Long Sunset’ is full of anecdotes. Samples follow. 1/2

The Resident Clerks were a Foreign Office institution. Four young bachelors lived in a flat in the FO, and did a roster of nights and weekends, fielding urgent calls and telegrams and waking people up when action was needed. I’ve just come across this fun story about Ernie Bevin. 1/2

Nihil habeo quod dicam!

I’m very sad to see this . Ed was a wise and compassionate man and a rigorous news broadcaster.

Edward Stourton: Broadcaster and journalist dies aged 68Stourton hosted Radio 4's Today programme for a decade and was a founding member of Channel 4 News.www.bbc.co.uk

On the night of 5/6 November 1942, a vast Allied convoy passed undetected through the Strait of Gibraltar, carrying the assault forces for the Torch landings in N Africa. It was a major feat of military planning, but its success hinged on the diplomatic skills of our man in Madrid. 1/7

Trump’s attacks bridges and energy sites will be no more effective than previous attempts to bomb Iran into submission. With oil back above $80, the Strait virtually shut and Gulf States under attack, expect him soon to veer back to reviving his ‘deal’. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

US launches seventh night of Iran strikes as Hormuz conflict escalatesCentral Command says attacks were designed to ‘continue degrading Iranian military capabilities’www.theguardian.com

It was a great privilege to join France’s Culture Minister Catherine Pégard and British Museum Chair George Osborne to see the Tapestry up close and personal. It lies on its display table before being slid under the protective showcase. All is on track for opening to the public on 10 September!

I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And yes some things don’t change!

Really appreciate this review of Peace Makers from Lord (Guy) Black. If you are looking for a holiday read, it might help you decide!

In July 1942 the Japanese liner Tatsuta Maru left Yokohama with the entire British community in Tokyo, who had been interned for 8 months. She stopped in Saigon + Singapore to collect more allied civilians and docked at Lourenço Marques where they were exchanged for Japanese staff from Europe 1/5

The Tapestry is a gift which will go on giving! These 11c images have effortlessly taken to social media.

Shocking allegations that King Harold was not spending 3.5% on defence.

Someone thought it clever to hide the 4.7bn black hole away in Treasury notes. As a result that’s all the media are talking about. Not the merits of the plan, or the need for a national debate on durably spending more on defence, which I tried to talk about with Cathy Newman on Sky News last night.

Powerful advice. But one point jars. On the SDR ‘The review team and previous defence secretary gave assurances to the prime minister and chancellor it was “balanced and affordable”. They were wrong’. The SDR and the Spending Review came out in June 25. But 1/2 www.thetimes.com/article/289f...

My advice to Andy Burnham as a former head of the armed forcesBritain is respected around the world and the premiership has become a quasi-wartime role. We cannot succumb to the ‘know our place’ brigadewww.thetimes.com

As I note here, keeping Powell sends an important and welcome signal of continuity. However it’s easy for Burnham to say he will do less foreign policy and delegate more. He will find the big issues are handled at leader level. To have influence you have to be there. observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Coup for Burnham as Jonathan Powell says it his ‘duty’ to...The highly respected ex-diplomat and former Blair chief of staff has been persuaded to stay in his post to ensure stability amid the current international and domestic turmoilobserver.co.uk

Why isn’t it the UK championing with Mark Carney a multilateral Defence Security and Resilience Bank on the model of World Bank/EBRD? The UK has the expertise, a global financial centre and an urgent need for defence investment. Early support from Burnham would send a powerful signal.

Thank you @rusi.bsky.social for hosting a launch event for Peace Makers expertly chaired by FCDO Chief Historian Professor Patrick Salmon. Great discussion with many questions on the FO role in shaping the outcome of the war, and how the war changed the FO esp in breaking down barriers to women.

The US/Iran deal winds the clock back to 27 Feb, when the Strait was open and nuclear negotiations ongoing. Except: Tehran has shown it can withstand US/Israeli military power, control Hormuz and hold Gulf States at risk. That’s a new reality. And Iran has made a new linkage with Lebanon

Speaking at the Borders Books Festival a great opportunity to immerse in beautiful Melrose including the Abbey and Abbotsford. Thanks to all who came along to make my discussion with @gavinesler.bsky.social about Peace Makers a sellout!

I hope Jarvis extracted a commitment to more funding. If not the DIP is dead on arrival after Healey’s devastating critique. How can he credibly sell a plan which his far more experienced predecessor condemned as increasing the risk to personal and making the country less safe? Time for boldness!