 "Quicksplained: Who is Lindy Cameron, the UK's first woman envoy to India?")
The United Kingdom on Thursday appointed Lindy Cameron as its first woman High Commissioner to India.
“Lindy Cameron CB OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of India in succession to Alex Ellis CMG, who will be transferring to another diplomatic service appointment,” reads a British government statement.
The incoming envoy expressed her excitement for the new role by saying, “Immensely proud to be appointed the next British High Commissioner to India. Huge thanks to Alex Ellis for leaving such a great legacy. So looking forward to working with the amazing @UKInIndia team. I can’t wait to get started!”
Immensely proud to be appointed the next British High Commisssioner to India. Huge thanks to @AlexWEllis for leaving such a great legacy. So looking forward to working with the amazing @UKinIndia team. I can’t wait to get started! https://t.co/JSo07xXwxI
— Lindy Cameron (@Lindy_Cameron) April 11, 2024
Though Cameron is the first woman representative to India, three women have represented Delhi in London since the 1950s, as per Indian Express.
She will succeed Alex Ellis, who has completed his three-year tenure in New Delhi. Speaking about the latest development, he said, “A great appointment to a lovely job with an excellent UK in India team in a fascinating, vast and diverse country. Enjoy it!”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsA great appointment to a lovely job with an excellent @UKinIndia team in a fascinating, vast & diverse country. Enjoy it! https://t.co/Dco01AkqbF
— Alex Ellis (@AlexWEllis) April 11, 2024
Cameron is expected to join later this month.
Here’s all we know about the new envoy.
Who is Lindy Cameron?
Born in North Ireland’s Belfast, Lindy Cameron has worked for the British government since 1998, gaining a wealth of knowledge in security posts, conflict zones, and cyber security.
According to the New Statesman, she attended Oxford University to study BA in modern history before beginning work as a consultant at McKinsey. She did her Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in the US, as per the Centre for Science and Policy.
She has worked for the British aid organisation DFID (Department for International Development) in director-level positions.
Cameron served with the DFID in Kabul, Baghdad, Hanoi, and Lagos between 1998 and 2007. She was also the head of the provincial rebuilding team and the senior FCO representative for Southern Afghanistan in Helmand in 2009–2010.
According to the UK government website, Cameron also served at the Royal College of Defence Studies, which trains senior military commanders and civil servants in defence and international security in 2011.
She worked for DFID once more, this time in national programmes and in West Asia and North Africa, from 2011 until 2019.
After that, had a stint as the director general of the Northern Ireland Office from 2019 to 2020.
From October 2020 to February 2024, Cameron served as the chief executive of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre. It is a division of the intelligence hub of the British government, known as GCHQ (government communications headquarters).
Cameron last time visited India in February 2023 to discuss advances in cyber security and defence against possible attacks, as per The Print.
The long-running discussions for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the UK would be part of her portfolio. For those uninitiated, the 14th round of trade talks, which started in 2022, was suspended last month due to the upcoming Indian general elections — the results of which will be declared on 4 June, as per The Hindu.
With inputs from PTI
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