Charles Crawford CMG
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After many years in high-level diplomacy Charles has a unique
profile as an imaginative and dynamic speaker/writer.
After a Law degree in Jurisprudence from Oxford University he
qualified as a Barrister before joining the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office. From 1985-87 Charles Crawford served as Foreign Secretary
Sir Geoffrey Howe’s official Speechwriter, contributing
ideas/language for numerous speeches by the Foreign Secretary (major
set-piece speeches, Parliamentary debates and more informal
after-dinner remarks)
He subsequently contributed to speeches by members of the Royal
Family, successive Prime Ministers as well as different Ministers
and others in public and commercial life. In 1987 he wrote the FCO’s
first Guide to Speech-Writing, a dynamic text full of rich real-life
examples on how to write speeches - and how to weed out lugubrious
mistakes of style and substance. Two decades after its first version
it remains the FCO's main in-house speech-drafting training tool
Charles Crawford’s energetic diplomatic work was praised at the
highest levels in London, NATO and EU for being uncompromising,
direct and operationally creative. His career featured many episodes
of drama and interest:
- his township work as the apartheid regime ended in South
Africa
- the early years of the transition from communism in Russia
and the attempted coup against President Yeltsin
- dealing with war crimes issues and reconciliation in
post-war Sarajevo
- the policy to support democratic forces who toppled Serbia’s
Slobodan Milosevic
- high-level diplomatic work in Warsaw as Poland joined the
EU, including the 2005 EU Budget negotiations.
After leaving the FCO at the end of 2007 Charles Crawford set up
his own website (voted a Top 20 Libertarian website in 2008 and
2009) where his trenchant observations on public policy questions
are available to a growing readership. He has taken part in training
courses for senior EU officials and national diplomats aimed at
improving their communication skills. Charles is now on the UK
Conservative Party Candidates List.
Charles is himself an accomplished speaker who has addressed
audiences large and small for many years. In 2009 his audiences
included the Headmasters Conference and Conservative Friends of
Poland as well as private groups and academic gatherings. He draws
on vivid episodes from his diplomatic career to explain wider policy
and moral themes and trends. His speeches and presentations are
unconventional and intellectually challenging, but above all
interesting and memorable.
Topics (sample)
Is Russia Too Big?
A thought-provoking look at why Russia is at once too big and too
small. A look at its history and future as we consider the darker
aspects of Russian Political Psychology
The Katyn Massacre - The Perfect Crime
The perfect crime is not when you can’t prove who did it – it’s
when you can prove who did it, but you’d rather look away. A hard
look at the startling story of the Katyn Massacre in WW2 and
subsequent political machinations
International Negotiation (as taught by
Shrek and Clint Eastwood)
The complexity and simplicity of international negotiation,
explained by great film stars down the ages
Climate Change: From UN (United
Nations) to UM (Unmitigated Mess)
A blunt, thought provoking yet entertaining explanation of why
international negotiations on Climate Issues are doomed to fail on a
spectacular scale
Why Stupidity Should be Taught in Schools
The essence of Stupidity as a fateful force in human affairs,
with many examples drawn from government practice
Past Client Comments
“fabulously readable and interesting analysis, with practical
application … just about the best scenesetter we have ever seen”
No 10 Downing Street
“very witty and hugely entertaining but also authoritative,
unflinching and wise, with a
serious underlying point that got a very receptive hearing”
Andrew Grant, Chairman of Headmasters and Headmistresses
Conference