Bahraini award to UK envoy shows ‘our diplomats are up for grabs’, says peer

The British ambassador to Bahrain has been accused of breaching government rules over accepting an award by the Gulf state’s king, a move critics suggest signals diplomats and civil servants are “up for grabs”. This week, the ambassador, Alastair Long , received the Order of Bahrain from King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, in recognition of his diplomatic tenure, which human rights activists and politicians say is in “direct breach” of the Foreign Office’s rules on accepting foreign awards. Under the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s policy, heads of UK missions must not accept foreign awards during, on or after leaving posts. Foreign governments must also request permission to grant awards to UK nationals, which a source told the Guardian the Bahraini government had not done. The award is understood to be the fourth to be given to British ambassadors to the Gulf state, following similar presentations to Long’s predecessors: Iain Lindsay, Simon Martin and Roderick Drummond. In a letter to the foreign secretary this week, Lord Scriven said it demonstrated “a recurring pattern wherein the Bahraini government deliberately disregards” British diplomatic protocol. “This sends a clear message: our diplomats and civil servants are up for grabs,” the Liberal Democrat peer’s letter to Yvette Cooper said. …