Nigel Sheinwald
{{Short description|British diplomat (born 1953)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix = Sir
|name = Nigel Sheinwald
|honorific-suffix = GCMG
|image = Nigelsheinwaldportrait.jpg
|imagesize = 195px
|office = British Ambassador to the United States
|term_start = October 2007
|term_end = January 2012
|monarch = Elizabeth II
|president = George W. Bush
Barack Obama
|primeminister = Gordon Brown
David Cameron
|predecessor = Sir David Manning
|successor = Sir Peter Westmacott
| office2 = British Permanent Representative to the European Union
| term_start2 = 2000
| term_end2 = 2003
| predecessor2 = Sir Stephen Wall
| successor2 = Sir John Grant
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|6|26|df=y}}
|birth_place = London, United Kingdom
|death_date =
|death_place =
|spouse =
|children =
|alma_mater = Balliol College, Oxford
|website =
}}
Sir Nigel Elton Sheinwald {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCMG}} (born 26 June 1953) is a former senior British diplomat, who served as Ambassador to the United States of America between October 2007 and January 2012. He was appointed "Special Envoy on intelligence and law enforcement data sharing" in September 2014.[http://www.gov.uk/government/news/sir-nigel-sheinwald-appointed-special-envoy-on-intelligence-and-law-enforcement-data-sharing gov.uk: "Sir Nigel Sheinwald appointed Special Envoy on intelligence and law enforcement data sharing"], Cabinet Office, 19 September 2014
He is also a senior advisor to political consultancy Rasmussen Global.{{Cite web|url=https://rasmussenglobal.com/the-firm|title=The firm – Rasmussen Global Consultancy}}
Education
Sheinwald was born in London, England, and educated at Harrow County School for Boys and Balliol College, Oxford.
Career
Sheinwald worked in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the Japan desk from 1976 to 1977 and on the Zimbabwe desk from 1979 to 1981. He served in Moscow from 1978 to 1979 and was Head of the Foreign Office Anglo-Soviet Section from 1981 to 1983. From 1983 to 1987, he worked in the political section of the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. From 1987 to 1989 he was Deputy Head of the Foreign Office's Policy Planning Staff. He was Deputy Head of the Foreign Office's European Union (Internal) Department from 1989 to 1992 and Head of the UK Representations Political and Institutional Section in Brussels from 1993 to 1995.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
Sheinwald was Foreign Office Press Secretary from 1995 to 1998 and Europe Director from 1998 to 2000, before serving as the UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the European Union from 2000 to 2003. From 2003 to 2007, he was Foreign Policy and Defence Adviser under Prime Minister Tony Blair and then as Head of the Cabinet Office Defence and Overseas Secretariat.
He is credited with successfully negotiating the release of fifteen Royal Navy personnel from Iran in 2007. He made a critical breakthrough in the standoff during a call with the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani.[http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2007/04/05/in_surprise_move_iran_frees_15_britons Boston Globe "In surprise move, Iran frees 15 Britons"], Boston.com; accessed 3 June 2020.
In October 2007 he was appointed Ambassador to the United States.[http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=PressR&id=2007750 Foreign & Commonwealth Office "Sir Nigel Sheinwald's bio"]
Sheinwald was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 1998,{{London Gazette |issue=55354 |date=30 December 1998 |page=3 |supp=y }} in 2000 was advanced to a knighthood as a Knight Commander (KCMG),{{London Gazette |issue=56070 |date=30 December 2000 |page=3 |supp=y }} and in 2011 was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the same Order (GCMG).{{London Gazette |issue=59808 |date=11 June 2011 |page=3 |supp=y }} In June 2011, the Prime Minister's Office announced that Sir Peter Westmacott, then HM Ambassador to the French Republic, would replace him in January 2012 as British Ambassador to the US.{{cite web|url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/latest-news/2011/06/senior-diplomatic-appointments-65056|title=Senior Diplomatic Appointments|date=24 June 2011|work=Number 10|accessdate=25 June 2011}}
Views
Speaking to the New Statesman in November 2017, Sheinwald expressed unease about British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's influence on international affairs: "His [Johnson’s] style gets in the way of handling foreign relations in a serious, responsible way at a time of real difficulty for this country… I don’t think he’s been at all helpful to the UK national interest, and I think that’s very regrettable indeed".[https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2017/11/joke-s-over-how-boris-johnson-damaging-britain-s-global-stature The joke’s over – how Boris Johnson is damaging Britain’s global stature] New Statesman
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.washdiplomat.com/April%202009/a5_04_09.html Unflappable British Envoy Keeps Cool Amid Crises – The Washington Diplomat]
- [http://multimedia.boston.com/pub/m/20446080/uk_ambassador_on_the_presidential_race.htm?q=nigel+sheinwald/ UK Ambassador On The Presidential Race {video} – Boston Globe]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8737477.stm Draw means UK and US ambassadors will split the bill – BBC News]
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{{succession box
| before = Sir David Manning
| title = British Ambassador to the United States
| years = 2007–2012
| after = Sir Peter Westmacott
}}
{{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheinwald, Nigel}}
Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Category:People educated at Harrow High School
Category:Permanent representatives of the United Kingdom to the European Union
Category:Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the United States
Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George