Hail to the new ambassadors

For most political animals, the attainment of high office was probably their ultimate aim all along, so if, having achieved it, they are expected to fade away quietly, leaving the country in the hands of fresh, probably younger, people, it is par for the course.

As we have seen recently, though, there is a logical career move which involves some of the skills they have acquired: the diplomatic service. Former Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, Orville London, now has another high-profile job with an equally long title; he is High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Kingdom. So he will still need the extra-wide business cards.

And it’s not just the old political warrior chief with the distinctive hair who is making the switch; his former deputy, Tracy Davidson- Celestine, is bound for Costa Rica to become this country’s ambassador there.

Anyone who has ever met an ambassador will tell you they possess a particular combination of qualities. By definition, a diplomat is expected to be diplomatic, but that doesn’t mean being a pushover.

They are there to present a suitable image for their people, but that doesn’t simply involve smiling and agreeing with everything.

They have a job to do, and that is to uphold the rights of their citizens.

It’s a role that should suit Ms Davidson-Celestine very well.

Anyone taking a quick glance at a photograph will see a sharply- dressed, good looking woman, but there is a steely glint in her eyes that warns you there is a keen brain and a determination behind the attractive facade. An ambassador is and should be addressed as Her Excellency.

Similarly, we now have His Excellency Orville London – because a High Commissioner is an ambassador by another name.

As these two prominent Tobagonians – who will spend half their lives explaining that there is more to TT than Trinidad – have proper jobs to do, they will not, presumably, be going down the route favoured by retired political leaders of certain countries, for whom the making of speeches provides a handsome living. Tony Blair, for instance, has been raking it in since handing over the British Labour Party reins to his old friend Gordon Brown.

No doubt his lucrative new line made it slightly easier to bear watching the party going down the drain. It is reported now that Blair is considering a return to the political arena, where he must see himself as a more appealing figure than the well-meaning but doomed Jeremy Corbyn. Blair will be thinking he would have blown Theresa May out of the water long ago. But he will be thinking it in the comfort of a luxury hotel somewhere abroad, rolling a large Hennessey XO around in a huge brandy glass.

London and Davidson-Celestine, on the other hand, will have real work to do, including the boosting of tourism. Both recently met with officials from the Ministry of Tourism for what was rather quaintly reported in this newspaper as “to sensitise and equip this country’s overseas representatives with information that would assist them in promoting destination Trinidad and Tobago in their assigned countries.” That should be like falling off a log for young Tracy, a veteran of promotional jaunts on behalf of Tobago.

Their new calling, though, is in stark contrast to the activities of former US presidents, who seem to sit back, become gaunt and unhealthy-looking and keep their views to themselves until called upon to assist with some cheerleading in a future presidential campaign.

Is it, I wonder, actually a relief to climb out of the driving seat and toss the keys to a successor? The role of senior politician – or perhaps any politician – is a thankless task in which one’s every thought and utterance is jumped on by the opposition. For every adoring acolyte stroking them like a cat there is a hooligan at the garden gate, throwing garbage on the lawn and scratching abuse on the car.

So enjoy it, Orville and Tracy.

Show them what Trinidad and Tobago is made of. Stick up for us and, while you’re making your point, give the local people directions to the airport so they can come to the Caribbean and see for themselves. Quite seriously, an embassy can make a huge difference to the public perception of a country.

As for the tourism “product” they will find when they arrive, that is now someone else’s responsibility.

All you can do is hope the new generation is not all talk and promises.