Sir Brian L. Barder, KCMG, had a distinguished career in the British Diplomatic Service, serving as Ambassador to Ethiopia, the Republic of Bénin, and Poland, and as High Commissioner to Nigeria and Australia. A former founding member with judicial status of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, he has a popular blog (http://www.barder.com/ephems/), and has contributed articles to journals and publications including The Political Quarterly, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, The London Review of Books, The Guardian and the journal of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Association, and numerous letters to The Times and The Guardian. He is an Honorary Visiting Fellow at the University of Leicester Department of Politics and International Relations.