Daniel Korski

Cutting the Foreign Office

Spending cuts are coming – we all know that.  And if any party is serious about tackling the debt mountain, then pretty much every department will have to face the axe in some form or other.  But wherever that axe falls, you can expect loud protest in reponse.  Cut the RAF, and a former Chief of the RAF will pop up on TV and say that the cuts will endanger the nation. Rationalise the NHS, and the party responsible will be called heartless. Close the High Commission in Port Moresby, and the newspapers will be full of stories about the historical link between Britain and Papua New Guinea.

So to make matters easier for a future foreign secretary, I have decided to have a first go at cutting British legations – i.e. its embassies, high commissions and consulates. Because there are so many, I have restricted my knife-wielding to Asia, Oceania, Europe and South America.  And, as I’m sure the diplomatic service will meet any future government with extended, rigorous criteria for embassy rationalisation, which will end up in very few cuts, I have adopted a more impressionistic route.  I have cut legations in countries where I don’t think Britain’s real interests are at stake, or where they can be safeguarded from a neighbouring embassy, an honorary consulate, a DfiD office, a Trade Mission, or through outsourced consular facilities. I have also not bothered with the myriad of Honorary Consulates, as I assume they are almost cost-free.

Anyway, here goes:

Afghanistan, Kabul, British Embassy

Australia, Brisbane, British Consulate

Australia, Canberra, British High Commission

Australia, Melbourne, British Consulate-General

Australia, Perth, British Consulate

Australia, Sydney, British Consulate-General

Bangladesh, Dhaka, British High Commission

Bangladesh, Sylhet, British High Commission

British Indian Ocean Territory

Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, British High Commission

Burma, Rangoon (Yangon), British Embassy

Cambodia, Phnom Penh, British Embassy

China, Beijing, British Embassy

China, Chongqing, British Consulate-General

Chine, Guangzhou, British Consulate-General

China, Shanghai, British Consulate-General

China, Shanghai, British Consulate-General

Fiji, Suva, British High Commission

Hong Kong, British Consulate-General

India, Ahmedabad, British Trade Office

India, Bangalore, British Deputy High Commission

India, Chennai (Madras), British Deputy High Commission

India, Goa, British Tourist Assistance Office

India, Kolkata (Calcutta), British Deputy High Commission

India, Mumbai (Bombay), British Deputy High Commission

India, New Delhi, British High Commission

Indonesia, Bali, British Consulate

Indonesia, Jakarta, British Embassy

Japan, Osaka, British Consulate-General

Japan, Tokyo, British Consulate-General

Japan, Tokyo, British Embassy

Kazakhstan, Almaty, Visa and Consular Section

Kazakhstan, Astana, British Embassy

Kiribati, British High Commission, Suva

Korea, DPR (North Korea), Pyongyang, British Embassy

Korea, Republic of (South Korea), Seoul, British Embassy

Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, British High Commission

Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, British Embassy

Nauru, British High Commission, Suva

Nepal, Kathmandu, British Embassy

New Zealand, Auckland, British Consulate-General

New Zealand, Wellington, British High Commission

Pakistan, Islamabad, British High Commission

Pakistan, Karachi, British Deputy High Commission

Pakistan, Lahore, UK Trade & Investment Office

Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, British High Commission

Philippines, Manila, British Embassy

Pitcairn Henderson Ducie & Oeno Islands, Pitcairn Islands Office (Overseas Territory)

Singapore, British High Commission

Solomon Islands, Honiara, British High Commission

Sri Lanka, Colombo, British High Commission

Taiwan, Taipei, British Trade & Cultural Office

Tajikstan, Dushanbe, British Embassy

Thailand, Bangkok, British Embassy

Tonga, British High Commission, Suva

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, British Embassy

Tuvalu, British High Commission, Suva

Uzbekistan, Tashkent, British Embassy

Vanuatu, British High Commission, Suva

Vietnam, Hanoi, British Embassy

Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, British Consulate-General

Argentina, Buenos Aires, British Embassy

Ascension Island, Georgetown, The Administrator’s Office

Bolivia, La Paz, British Embassy

Brazil, Brasilia, British Embassy

Chile, Santiago, British Embassy

Colombia, Bogotá, British Embassy

Ecuador, Quito, British Embassy

Falkland Islands, Stanley, Government House

Guyana, Georgetown, British High Commission

Peru, Lima, British Embassy

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Governor’s Office Tristan da Cunha, The Settlement, Administrator’s Office

Uruguay, Montevideo, British Embassy

Venezuela, Caracas, British Embassy

Albania, Tirana, British Embassy

Andorra

Armenia, Yerevan, British Embassy

Austria, Vienna, British Embassy

Azerbaijan, Baku, British Embassy

Belarus, Minsk, British Embassy

Belgium, Brussels, British Embassy

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka, British Embassy Office

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, British Embassy

Bulgaria, Sofia, British Embassy

Croatia, Zagreb, British Embassy

Cyprus, Nicosia, British High Commission

Cyprus, Zygi, British East Mediterranean Relay Station

Czech Republic, Prague, British Embassy

Denmark, Copenhagen, British Embassy

Estonia, Tallinn, British Embassy

Finland, Helsinki, British Embassy

France, Lyon, British Consulate

France, Marseille, British Consulate

France, Paris, British Embassy

France, Saumur, British Consulate

Germany, Dusseldorf, British Consulate-General

Germany, Hamburg, British Consulate

Germany, Hanover, British Consulate

Germany, Munich, British Consulate-General

Germany, Berlin, British Embassy

Gibraltar, Office of the Governor

Greece, Athens, British Embassy

Greece, Corfu, British Consulate

Greece, Heraklion (Crete), British Consulate

Greece, Thessalonika, British Consulate

Holy See, Vatican City, British Embassy

Hungary, British Embassy

Iceland, Reykjavík, British Embassy

Ireland, Dublin, British Embassy

Italy, Bari, British Consulate

Italy, Cagliari, British Consulate

Italy, Catania, British Consulate

Italy, Florence, British Consulate

Italy, Milan, British Consulate-General

Italy, Naples, British Consulate

Italy, Palermo, British Consulate

Italy, Rome, British Embassy

Italy, Venice, British Consulate

Kosovo, Pristina, British Embassy

Latvia, Riga, British Embassy

Lithuania, British Embassy

Luxembourg, British Embassy

Macedonia, Skopje, British Embassy

Malta, Valletta, British High Commission

Moldova, Chisinau, British Embassy

Montenegro, Podgorica, British Embassy

Netherlands, Amsterdam, British Consulate-General

Netherlands, The Hague, British Embassy

Nor way, Alesund, British Consulate

Norway, Bergen, British Consulate

Norway, Oslo, British Embassy

Norway, Stavanger, British Consulate

Norway, Trondheim, British Consulate

Poland, Warsaw, British Embassy

Portugal, Lisbon, British Embassy

Portugal, Portimão, British Consulate

Romania, Bucharest, British Embassy

Russian Federation, Ekaterinburg, British Consulate-General

Russian Federation, Moscow, British Embassy

Russian Federation, St Petersburg, British Consulate-General

Serbia, Belgrade, British Embassy

Slovakia, Bratislava, British Embassy

Slovenia, Ljubljana, British Embassy

Spain, Alicante, British Consulate

Spain, Barcelona, British Consulate-General

Spain, Bilbao, British Consulate

Spain, Ibiza, British Consulate

Spain, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), British Consulate

Spain, Madrid, British Embassy

Spain, Malaga, British Consulate

Spain, Palma de Mallorca, British Consulate

Spain, Tenerife (Canary Islands), British Consulate

Sweden, Stockholm, British Embassy

Switzerland, Berne, British Embassy

Switzerland, Geneva, British Consulate-General

Switzerland, Geneva, Joint Management Office

Turkey, Ankara, British Embassy

Turkey, Izmir, British Consulate

Ukraine, Kyiv, British Embassy

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