Sir Dominic Anthony Gerard Asquith KCMG (born 7 February 1957) is a British career diplomat and former Ambassador to Iraq, Egypt, and Libya. He was First Secretary at the British Embassy in Washington DC. He was most recently the British High Commissioner to the Republic of India.[1]
Asquith is the younger son of The 2nd Earl of Oxford and Asquith and Anne (born Palairet). He was a great-grandson of H. H. Asquith, the former British Prime Minister. Asquith's elder brother Raymond, father Lord Oxford, and maternal grandfather Sir Michael Palairet, all served as British diplomats. Like his father and brother, he was educated at Ampleforth College.
In 1975 he was involved in the Musa Alami project in the West Bank, Palestine, and worked as a researcher at the Institute of Palestine Studies in Beirut.
In 1981 he worked as a freelance journalist in Amman, Jordan and then as the Executive Secretary to the Parliamentary Association for Euro-Arab Co-operation in London, until 1983.
Asquith joined HM Diplomatic Service in 1983 as part of the Soviet department and served at Damascus, Muscat, Washington, D.C., Buenos Aires and Riyadh before being appointed Deputy Head of Mission in Iraq in 2004, Director of the Iraq Directorate at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2004–06 and Ambassador to Iraq 2006–07. He was Ambassador to Egypt 2007–11 and Ambassador to Libya 2011–12.
On 4 December 2009, Asquith gave evidence before Parliament to The Iraq Inquiry.[2]
Asquith survived an assassination attempt in June 2012 when a British convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.[3] In September 2012 Asquith had to extend a routine break from Libya for medical treatment[4] and in January 2013 he was officially replaced by Michael Aron.[5]
Asquith was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2004,[6] and knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 2012 New Year Honours.[7][8]
After spending a few years in the private sector, Asquith returned to diplomatic life, taking charge as High Commissioner to India in April 2016.[9] He concluded his four-year stint in India[10] in January 2020.[9]
In May 2013 Asquith took an unpaid position leading a trade delegation to Libya organised by the Libyan British Business Council.[11]
In June 2013 Sir Dominic took a paid position as senior consultant with Tatweer Research, a Libyan research and development company, specialising in technology and engineering.[12]
Asquith was married in 1988 to Louise Cotton, who had worked as a secretary in the British Foreign Office and resigned upon her marriage. Sir Dominic and Lady Asquith have four children:[13][14]
