Stephen Wall (born January, 1947), British Diplomat

Stephen Wall

January, 1947

His early postings included the United Nations, Addis Ababa and Paris. On his return to London in 1974, he worked in the Foreign Office News Department and was later seconded to the press office of James Callaghan, who was then Prime Minister. He subsequently served as Assistant Private Secretary to David Owen, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Carrington, David Owen"s successor. Wall spent four years at the British Embassy, Washington, District of Columbia from 1979 to 1983, when he returned to the Foreign Office. From 1983-1988 he served as Assistant Head, and later Head, of the Foreign Office"s European Community Department (Internal) He was Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary from 1988 to 1991, serving under Geoffrey Howe, John Major and Douglas Hurd. He was Private Secretary to Prime Minister John Major from 1991 to 1993, responsible for foreign policy and defence issues. Wall was sent as Ambassador to Portugal in 1993, and he remained there until 1995, when he was named as Britain"s Permanent Representative to the European Union. He returned to London in 2000 to takes charge of the Cabinet Office"s European Secretariat. He remained in that post until 2004, and during that period he was European Union adviser to Tony Blair. He was named as principal adviser to Cormac Murphy-O"Connor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster in June 2004, and he served until June 2005. Sir Stephen Wall is chairman of Cumberland Lodge, an educational charity initiating fresh debate on the burning questions facing society. From 2005- 2014, he was a Council Member at University College London and was Council Chair from 2008-2014. He is a Vice-Chair of the pro-European Union business organisation "Business for New Europe" and Chair of the pro-European Union "Federal Trust". From 2009-2014 he was co-chair of the Belgo-British Conference. He works as an Official Historian at the Cabinet Office, writing the Official History of Britain"s relationship with the rest of the European Union. In 2014, Stephen Wall came out publicly as gay.

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Works

book

A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair

(For over twenty years Sir Stephen Wall was at the heart o...)

For over twenty years Sir Stephen Wall was at the heart of Whitehall, working for a succession of British leaders as they shaped Britain's policy towards the European Union. He was there behind the scenes when Margaret Thatcher took on the rest of Europe to 'get her money back'. He was with John Major at Maastricht where the single European currency was born. He was with Tony Blair as a negotiator of the EU's Amsterdam, Nice and Constitutional Treaties. As a senior official in London, as Britain's ambassador to the European Union and as Tony Blair's senior official adviser on Europe he saw Prime Ministers and Foreign Secretaries define, defend and promote Britain's interests in Europe. Drawing on that experience, Stephen Wall traces a British journey from 1982 to the present as successive British governments have wrestled with their relationship with their fellow EU partners, with the European Commission and the European Parliament. A Stranger in Europe goes behind the scenes as Margaret Thatcher and her successors have sought to reconcile Britain's national and European interests. Drawing on the official documents of the period, he gives a unique insight into how Britain's leaders have balanced objective assessment of Britain's wishes; political, press and public pressures; their own political instincts and the aims, interests and personalities of their fellow European leaders. We see Britain's Prime Ministers in intimate discussion with other EU leaders. We experience how Britain's top politicians motivated the best civil servants of their day and how those civil servants, in turn, sought to turn political instructions into negotiating successes. Above all, we see people at the top of their game trying to promote the British national interest and be good Europeans at the same time. Stephen Wall analyses both Britain's successes and our failures and shows how, despite the differences of declared aim, and huge differences of personality, Britain's political leaders have in practice followed very similar paths. He concludes that Britain has been an awkward partner, often at odds with her partners: a stranger in Europe. But with dogged determination and seriousness of purpose Britain's leaders have nonetheless done much to shape and reform the modern Europe in which we live today.

A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair (For over twenty years Sir Stephen Wall was at the heart o...)

Stephen Wall Edit Profile

Education

Wall, who was educated at Douai School and Selwyn College, Cambridge, entered the Diplomatic Service in 1968.

Career

His early postings included the United Nations, Addis Ababa and Paris. On his return to London in 1974, he worked in the Foreign Office News Department and was later seconded to the press office of James Callaghan, who was then Prime Minister. He subsequently served as Assistant Private Secretary to David Owen, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Carrington, David Owen"s successor.

Wall spent four years at the British Embassy, Washington, District of Columbia from 1979 to 1983, when he returned to the Foreign Office.

From 1983-1988 he served as Assistant Head, and later Head, of the Foreign Office"s European Community Department (Internal) He was Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary from 1988 to 1991, serving under Geoffrey Howe, John Major and Douglas Hurd. He was Private Secretary to Prime Minister John Major from 1991 to 1993, responsible for foreign policy and defence issues.

Wall was sent as Ambassador to Portugal in 1993, and he remained there until 1995, when he was named as Britain"s Permanent Representative to the European Union. He returned to London in 2000 to takes charge of the Cabinet Office"s European Secretariat.

He remained in that post until 2004, and during that period he was European Union adviser to Tony Blair.

He was named as principal adviser to Cormac Murphy-O"Connor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster in June 2004, and he served until June 2005. Sir Stephen Wall is chairman of Cumberland Lodge, an educational charity initiating fresh debate on the burning questions facing society. From 2005- 2014, he was a Council Member at University College London and was Council Chair from 2008-2014.

He is a Vice-Chair of the pro-European Union business organisation "Business for New Europe" and Chair of the pro-European Union "Federal Trust".

From 2009-2014 he was co-chair of the Belgo-British Conference. He works as an Official Historian at the Cabinet Office, writing the Official History of Britain"s relationship with the rest of the European Union.

In 2014, Stephen Wall came out publicly as gay.

Achievements

He was Equalities Champion at University College London for LGBT+ issues.

Works

A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair

book
- A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair
  (For over twenty years Sir Stephen Wall was at the heart o...)
- A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair
  (For over twenty years Sir Stephen Wall was at the heart o...)

Membership

He is a board member of Kaleidoscope, a charity campaigning for LGBT rights overseas.

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book

A Stranger in Europe: Britain and the EU from Thatcher to Blair

Stephen Wall Edit Profile

Education

Career

Achievements

Works

book

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Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Street Michael and Street George