With the end of 2017 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2018 – and tell us what they cannot do Christmas without
What are you most proud of achieving in 2017?
First, small achievements slowly accumulated to make a strategic difference: our carefully-laid plans worked out over time. We have been part of the 74-member counter-Daesh global coalition for three years. Within the UK, the MoD has taken the lead, conducting over 1,600 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. In the FCO we supported by targeting Daesh’s disinformation campaign. For too long their propagandists were not countered effectively, especially in social media. In 2015 we set up the global coalition's counter-Daesh communications cell within our Comms Directorate. Early progress attracted the attention of international partners. Now 10 countries are represented, with content being produced in both English and Arabic. In 2017 our team gained the upper hand: as Daesh lost territory on the ground so they lost traction over the airwaves. We calculate that their propaganda output has plummeted by more than 50% since 2014.
Second, our consular effort in general and Crisis Centre in particular had a blue riband year. In September, Crisis Centre was in crisis mode for 29 unbroken days, a record. First, they dealt with Hurricane Irma, which disrupted 500,000 UK citizens on its way through Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands to Florida. While the clean-up was still in its initial stages, Hurricane Maria hit Dominica, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. Simultaneously Monarch, the UK’s fourth largest airline went bust. With colleagues at the Department for Transport we deployed 144 people to 34 airports in 10 countries (plus one overseas territory), our local staff to the fore. Over 400 FCO staff volunteered to work in our Crisis Centre 24/7. In the fortnight following the bankruptcy we brought 85,000 stranded holidaymakers home. A slick operation didn’t much interest the media but it provides one of the highlights of 2017 and a chance to spotlight the work of consular colleagues, who worked seamlessly with the 96-strong HM Revenue & Customs-led Surge and Rapid Response Team to deliver a textbook ‘one government’ approach to dealing with the British public. Thank you.
What was your most difficult decision in 2017?
Ensuring we had sufficient resource for the long crisis response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria while continuing to deliver for ministers on the many other important issues of the day. We did it, thanks to the herculean efforts of our staff.
What are your department’s top priorities in the year ahead?
Brexit: making a success of leaving the European Union. Global Britian: advancing UK interests and strengthening our role as a global player during and after our departure from the EU. April’s Commonwealth Summit will be an important part of this. And, continuing our internal Diplomacy 20:20 programme to further improve our expertise, agility and the quality of our platform.
For you, no Christmas holiday is complete without...
Family, friends, film (this year Star Wars: the Last Jedi; Call Me By Your Name; Mudbound) and food!