Scots in New England Welcomes the New British Consul General, David Clay MBE

We are delighted to welcome David Clay MBE as the new British Consul General to New England, based in Boston. Those who attended the New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival in September had the chance to meet him during the opening ceremonies.

David has been a member of the Diplomatic Service since 2005 and brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Previously, he served as joint head of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Iraq and Arabian Peninsula Department, where he oversaw the UK’s relationships with Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. His work included UK security cooperation with the Gulf, launching Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2022, and contributing to the Qatar World Cup. Most recently, he focused on the UK’s response to the conflict in Israel and Gaza from 2023 to 2024.

From 2016 to 2020, David was the Deputy Political Counsellor and then Counsellor at the UK’s Mission to the UN in New York, where he addressed peace and security issues in both the UN Security Council and General Assembly. In this capacity, he regularly represented the UK in the Security Council and managed negotiations on resolutions related to Yemen, Mali, Sudan, and Colombia.

Earlier in his career, David served in Libya before and during the 2011 revolution, and then in Egypt from 2013 to 2016. He speaks Arabic and holds a Master’s degree (with Distinction) in Middle East Politics. Prior to joining the Foreign Office, David taught English in eastern Sudan.

We are looking forward at Scots in New England to working closely with David and his colleagues.