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A diplomat appointed from outside the ranks of the career diplomatic service. Political appointments, which are normally made at ambassador level in return for services rendered to the government (including financial campaign contributions), are much commoner in some countries than others. In the West, the United States is best known for this practice, and a law passed in 1980 which prohibited ambassadorial nominations as a reward for campaign contributions has had little effect. In British practice political appointments are remarkably rare. Even Mrs Thatcher, who was well known for her suspicion of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British diplomats in general, made only one – and that was a recently retired former career diplomat. Political appointments, it need hardly be said, cause considerable resentment among the professionals. |
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