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The Guardian· Europe

‘I was on my honeymoon!’: Hamish Falconer’s surprise call-up to Burnham’s cabinet

New EU negotiator, who previously helped free Taliban hostages, thought it was safe to book holiday during recessLabour seeking ‘deeper relationship’ with EU under Burnham, new minister saysWhen Hamish Falconer left his career as a Foreign Office diplomat for the hostile environment of a Labour party selection process, one of his last acts was a negotiation to free six hostages from the Taliban.Wh

Published Sunday, 9 August 2026 at 18:00
‘I was on my honeymoon!’: Hamish Falconer’s surprise call-up to Burnham’s cabinet
New EU negotiator, who previously helped free Taliban hostages, thought it was safe to book holiday during recessLabour seeking ‘deeper relationship’ with EU under Burnham, new minister saysWhen Hamish Falconer left his career as a Foreign Office diplomat for the hostile environment of a Labour party selection process, one of his last acts was a negotiation to free six hostages from the Taliban.When he won the key marginal seat of Lincoln in the 2024 general election, he did not expect to be back in those offices on King Charles Street quite so quickly – he was appointed Middle East minister just two weeks later. Continue reading...

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