Tim Barrow

Sir Timothy Earle Barrow KCMG, LVO, MBE (born 15 February 1964) is a British diplomat who was Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Russian Federation from 2011 to 2015. He previously served in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as a representative to various bodies of the European Union, and as British Ambassador to Ukraine 2006–2008. He was named as the British Permanent Representative to the EU, following the resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers on 3 January 2017.

Barrow was educated at Arnold Lodge School in the spa town of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, in the West Midlands, followed by Warwick School in the county town of Warwick (also in Warwickshire). From there he went to the University of Oxford.

He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1986 and served as a desk officer on the Western European Department between 1987 and 1988. From 1988 to 1989 he undertook Russian language training. He took part in the British Days Exhibition in Kiev in 1989, and from 1990 until 1993 was the second secretary at the British Embassy in Moscow. Between 1993 and 1994 he headed the Russia Section in the FCO, and between 1994 and 1996 was a Private Secretary to a Minister of State. Barrow became a First Secretary of the UK's representative to the European Union between 1996 and 1998, before returning to the FCO in 1998 as a private secretary to the Foreign Secretary.

Ambassadorships and EU work

Barrow served as Head of the Common Foreign and Security Department at the FCO between 2000 and 2003, and then as Assistant Director at EU External between 2003 and 2005. He was then Deputy Political Director at the FCO between 2005 and 2006. In 2006 he was appointed as HM Ambassador to Ukraine in 2006, taking up the post in July that year and holding it until 2008. He then returned to Brussels as a representative to the Political and Security Committee and Britain's ambassador to the Western European Union. He held these posts until 2011, when he was appointed the UK's ambassador to the Russian Federation. He succeeded Dame Anne Pringle, the first woman ever to have held the post in the 450 years of its existence. Barrow announced that he was

... very pleased to be returning to Russia. I have good memories of working in Moscow in the early '90s. I look forward to getting to know again this vast and dynamic country and to continuing the steady work of developing relations between our two countries.

Barrow's appointment was announced on 2 August 2011, and he took up the post in November that year. On 4 January 2017, Barrow was appointed to be the British Permanent Representative to the EU, following the resignation of Sir Ivan Rogers.

Barrow is married to Alison, and has two sons and two daughters.

Barrow was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1994 New Year Honours, and Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in 1994. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2006 Birthday Honours, and promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to British foreign policy and interests in Russia.