Britain on Thursday appointed Christian Turner, a career diplomat, as the ambassador to Washington after his predecessor, Peter Mandelson, was fired this year over his links to the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Unlike his predecessor, who had a long political career but never served as a diplomat in the Foreign Office before becoming ambassador to the United States, Mr. Turner has spent nearly 30 years working for the British government in such roles.
Before his new job was announced, Mr. Turner was appointed as Britain’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York but had not taken up the position.
His other recent posts include serving as Britain’s high commissioner to Pakistan and as the prime minister’s international affairs adviser and deputy national security adviser.
The new ambassador said that he was “honored” to be appointed and that Britain and the United States “share a historic partnership rooted in common values, shared security and deep economic ties.”
In his new role, Mr. Turner faces the delicate task of fostering close ties with President Trump’s administration at a time of trans-Atlantic tensions over trade policy, the war in Ukraine and other foreign affairs.
This month, an update to the U.S. national security strategy claimed that Europe was facing the “stark prospect of civilizational erasure.” Last week, Washington said it would pause fulfilling a technology-related agreement with Britain, which included more collaboration on artificial intelligence and nuclear energy.
Mr. Mandelson, the previous ambassador, was dismissed in September after emails and other correspondence revealed the closeness of his ties to Mr. Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
The British ambassador’s firing was a significant embarrassment to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who had appointed Mr. Mandelson despite his two previous resignations from the cabinet for failing to disclose a home loan and after being accused of having tried to influence a passport application.
Mr. Starmer expressed his confidence on Thursday that Mr. Turner would help maintain close ties between Britain and the United States.
“The United Kingdom and United States have a very special relationship, and Christian’s extensive experience as an outstanding diplomat will support this uniquely close bond and ensure it continues to flourish,” Mr. Starmer said in a statement.
Stephen Castle is a London correspondent of The Times, writing widely about Britain, its politics and the country’s relationship with Europe.
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