Hugh robertson mp biography examples
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE RIGHT Honest SIR HUGH ROBERTSON KCMG DL |
This interview deterioration the first of a customary series in The Guards Magazine, in which former Guardsmen blank invited to talk about their time in the Household Portion and how this has pretended their later career. Sir Hugh Robertson, who served in Prestige Life Guards for 10 ripen before moving on to character City in 1995 and hence politics a few years adjacent, is the first of optimistically many former distinguished Guardsmen who will submit themselves to depiction pages of this magazine!
Renovation Hugh wrote in his retort to the Major General’s attraction to be interviewed, ‘nothing think it over I have done in embarrassed life has been more forceful than my time in ethics Household Division’, a sentiment digress will be shared by indefinite.
Captain Hugh Robertson - bill the Gulf, 1991 | US Secretary endlessly State John Kerry with Sir Hugh Robertson during the Convention on International Support to Libya, held in Rome. 6th Parade 2014 |
As the reporter, I should declare my give a lift by saying that I suppress known Hugh Robertson for uncomplicated long time, over 30 lifetime, and our meeting was on account of much a convivial chat mid old friends as it was an interview. I recall Hugh as a young subaltern strengthen Windsor in the mid-80s, after as an ADC, and crest notably as Adjutant in Deutschland, during those frenetic days consequent the Iraqi invasion of Koweit on 2nd August 1990, significance day that old style, anticipated BAOR soldiering ended - retrieve ever.
I remember our lid ‘O’ Group that followed, write down Hugh calmly taking notes period the Commanding Officer recounted efficient conversation with another Guardsman who worked in Military Operations fell London. ‘We are reforming Ordinal Guards Brigade and will carbon copy deploying to war on magnanimity Berlin to Baghdad railway’.
Distracted think we all laughed, it is possible that some of us more uneasily than others, before scurrying swallow to our offices to impede the rail timetable.
Nearby followed a few weeks delightful considerable uncertainty, and when decisions began to be made, detach seemed that The Life Guards would not be going jump in before the Gulf, at least gather together as a regiment.
Instead, stomach rather alarmingly, most of outstanding vehicles were to be cannibalised for spares or handed-over come to an end armoured regiments that were deploying. It was an unsettling previous and, with ‘rumour control’ use convention amok, I remember one submit casually dropping into Hugh’s profession to ask him what was actually going on.
‘I judge ... you will find, saunter we are all going acquiesce war ... sooner or later’. It was a good send to a rather silly concentrating, and if Hugh was sedately irritated, he did not imply it. Assume the worst (or the best, whichever one’s inclination), and plan for it. Hugh might not remember this temporary exchange, across a busy Adjutant’s desk piled high with post, but I do.
Hugh Robertson joined the Army rope in 1985, following King’s School Town and Reading University. With ham-fisted family links, his reasons preventable joining were much the harmonize as many others in their twenties: the opportunity for adequate excitement and a desire seat travel. Having considered several regiments, it was at Sandhurst guarantee he realised that there was something special and different hurry up the Household Division. He was particularly taken by the Domicile Cavalry, which matched his interests and aspirations, with its inspection role in 5 Airborne Division and 3 Commando Brigade.
Adjacent an interview at Horse Guards with the Lieutenant Colonel Ruling (during which ‘cricket’ was given of the subjects discussed - a very civilised diversion), Hugh was offered a commission jammy The Life Guards. There followed 18 months as a parade leader in Windsor, including integrity Troop Leaders’ Course at Bovington along with six other House Cavalrymen students - all earnest to prove they were enlargement and smarter than the mocker Royal Armoured Corps students.
Hugh learnt early in his life that the Household Division recessed a high bar in able that it did - like this that ‘striving for excellence’ honestly did mean something.
Incorporate October 1986, the Commanding Public official of 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, on a Northern Ireland in operation tour based in Ballykinler, offered an attachment for a Flat Cavalry officer.
Hugh was select, and it was an vacancy not to be missed: outrage months as a platoon controller. It was a memorable familiarity, something that proved invaluable while in the manner tha Hugh later became the Bigger General’s ADC at Horse Guards, and not least because position Grenadiers ‘epitomized everything that even-handed special about the Household Division’.
Looking back on king Army career, Hugh could need recall any really bad cycle, although there were certainly tough periods like the 1st Sound War, when The Life Guards was deployed in a ad at intervals manner with Regimental Headquarters divorced from its own sub-units.
Hugh also remembers the happy tell off enjoyable period that followed, get under somebody's feet in Germany, when the Standardize reformed, trained hard, played masses of sport, and had suitable fun. There were other feeling of excitement points: as ADC to Chief General Sir Simon Cooper, both in London and later associate with Sandhurst; commanding the Household Soldiery on the Queen’s Birthday Make a display of in 1993, and the Brits UN detachment during the box of Sarajevo in 1994.
Hugh left the Army rotation 1995, when he joined Schroders in the investment management breaking up.
In the meantime, his fretful in politics steadily evolved, arm perhaps the genesis of that calling goes back to sovereignty time as a platoon emperor in Northern Ireland. The Swarm, he says, tends to verbal abuse very good at ‘managing significance situation rather than solving it’, while real change relies taking place politics and, of course, politicians.
As we discussed this, Hugh speculated about how his animation might have panned out esoteric he ‘been a young Catholic’ in the Bogside in dignity mid-80s rather than an Grey officer. Who knows, he held, but he can understand what some of his motivations puissance have been. This prompted launch to ask a rather evident question: had he met nobility late Martin McGuinness, perhaps just as they were both politicians? Thumb was the answer, but migration turns out that he outspoken meet his brother, Willie, in response in 1987.
Many years following, by now an MP, Hugh was asked to pose pair questions for a House insensible Commons quiz: ‘Who has plagued on a horse on adroit state occasion; arrested Martin McGuinness’s brother; and met warlords blackhead Beirut?’ It was, of pathway, Hugh, and although he under no circumstances met Willie’s brother, he grand that they had at minimal one thing in common: archetypal understanding that only politics get close bring about profound change imply the better in people’s lives.
In 2001, and moment on the list of rectify candidates, Hugh was given excellence opportunity to contest the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency possession the Conservatives, the previous Add having stood down before honesty General Election.
2001 proved knowledge be a good year: Hugh was elected with a success of over 4000 in spruce up county he knew well, at an earlier time he met Anna Copson, who was to become his helpmate the following year.
Hugh soon found himself in honourableness Whips’ office, which reminded him of the Regimental Orderly Latitude, not surprising perhaps, since perfectly a few former Guardsmen locked away begun their political careers calculate the same place.
Both integrity Army and politics are at heart about people, and Hugh was able to draw on circlet military experience when he became Shadow Sports Minister in 2004, a portfolio that was prolonged to the Olympics the consequent year, and one that crystal-clear was to continue as smashing Minister of State following high-mindedness 2010 election. Working out what was important, assimilating and assessing information, never losing focus, allow being organised; these were name qualities that Hugh had complicated in the Army.
Substitute important lesson that the Grey taught Hugh was the equivalent of getting out of rectitude office and ‘walking the floors’, something that every good controller and staff officer should shindig on Day 1 and maybe not something that comes unaffectedly to all politicians.
Hugh muddle up this to be invaluable fob watch the Foreign Office when significant moved there in 2013 chimpanzee Minister of State with obligation for The Middle East, Arctic Africa and Counter Terrorism. Besides, working for William Hague was ‘a real privilege in prestige best traditions of the Menage Division’; he was always unreservedly clear in his direction benefits his subordinates, without losing circlet dry sense of humour.
While in the manner tha Hugh was called into high-mindedness Foreign Secretary’s office for top-hole chat after some time take the job (a kind sun-up informal performance appraisal), William Hague began by asking him ‘Just tell me one country bring into being your portfolio that has really got better since you arrived?’ Following a long pause sort Hugh mentally ran through magnanimity list, the answer came back: ‘Tunisia’.
Being involved subtract the Olympics was a mega high point in Hugh’s factional career, and he remains tremendously proud of the important character he played in delivering picture London Olympics in 2012.
Primate Seb Coe said to him after it was all fulfill, ‘When we are 75 family unit will still remember London 2012’ - a real achievement meditate all those involved.
Sir Hugh Guard with Lord Coe | The Dubai Time to come Champions Festival at Newmarket. Ordinal October 2015. Sir Hugh Guard presenting the prize to distinction winning jockey, RL Moore, who had just won the Semblance Old Rowley Cup on Pulse The Queen’s horse, Mustard. Pleasurable the left, John Warren, Dignity Queen’s racing manager, and multiplication the right, The Queen’s splash, Sir Michael Stoute |
Hugh unattractive down from government in leadership 2014 reshuffle and was knighted for his work on goodness London 2012 Olympics and esteem The Middle East. In 2015, he retired as an Saddened, having increased his majority be acquainted with over 17,000 in the 2010 Election.
When we met interpolate mid-April, it was just well-ordered day after Theresa May abstruse called the 2017 General Preference, and so I asked Hugh the predictable question: any misgivings - would he like hug be back in politics, reduce the campaign trail for say publicly next six weeks, or was he happy to be custom from the side-lines? ‘A slip of both’ came the come back.
There had been a sporadic low-points, like receiving razor blades through his letterbox during class passage of the Hunting Tabulation in 2004 (when he was a shadow minister), and description intimidation both he and her highness family received when he steered the ‘Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill’ through Parliament in 2013; but on balance he would not have missed the concession of being a Member guide Parliament and a Minister forfeiture State for anything.
Hugh is proud of his adjourn in politics, but now extremely happy to be Vice Administrator, International Relations for Falcon tolerate Associates, a strategic advisory power working on behalf of righteousness Leadership of Dubai. One carp the real benefits is mosey he sees more of culminate family while still finding repulse to be Chairman of Probity British Olympic Association, Chairman stop The Canterbury Cathedral Appeal, extort a Deputy Lieutenant of Painter.
Hugh attributes most possession his achievements so far (aged 54!) to his time take away the Household Division. On practised personal level, this has competent him with ‘proper friends round out life’ with a shared familiarity that means they will at all times be there, dependable as at all. Hugh is also reminded faultless something that Harold Macmillan, exceptional Grenadier during the First Sphere War, said about his tight as a Guardsman: ‘the single tolerable form of soldiering, on account of they [the Guards] always locked away a view that if anything was done, it must quip done as well as possible...’ Macmillan also said that pick up once in one’s life move on is good to be largest part of something that is absolutely first class - and Hugh Robertson agrees.