Sir Philip Barton to take charge as UK envoy to India

The UK government on Thursday announced career diplomat Sir Philip Barton as the new British High Commissioner to India, to succeed outgoing envoy Sir Dominic Asquith.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said Barton will take charge at the British High Commission in New Delhi in the coming weeks of Spring.

Sir Philip Barton KCMG OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of India in succession to Sir Dominic Asquith KCMG. Sir Philip will take up his appointment during Spring 2020, the FCO statement said.

Barton is currently the Director General of Consular and Security at the FCO and has previously been Acting Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee at the UK Cabinet Office.

Between 2014 and 2016, the diplomat was posted in Islamabad as the British High Commissioner to Pakistan and prior to that was the Deputy Head of Mission in Washington.

He has served as Additional Director for South Asia at the FCO and his India focus dates back to 1994 when he was posted in New Delhi as First Secretary, External.

He has previously worked in the FCO in London on international economic relations, the EU and South Asia.

Barton, who is married with two children, was recently on secondment to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) as a Consulting Senior Fellow focusing on South Asian issues.

Barton was Private Secretary to former UK Prime Ministers John Major and Tony Blair.

The 56-year-old has also worked in the Cabinet Office as Director General for the PM's Anti-Corruption Summit and Director Foreign Policy and Afghanistan/Pakistan Co-ordinator, supporting the National Security Council.

He studied Economics and Politics at Warwick University and has a Masters in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE).