Thursday 18 September 2025
Lord Darroch, former British Ambassador to the United States, joins The Orwell Foundation as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
The Orwell Foundation is delighted to welcome Kim Darroch, as the charity expands its work across the UK and internationally.
A retired UK civil servant and life peer in the House of Lords, Lord Darroch’s diplomatic career spanned more than 40 years. Most recently, Lord Darroch served as the British Ambassador to the United States (2016-2019). Prior to Washington, he was National Security Adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron (2012-2015), and in that role, oversaw issues such as the rise of Daesh in Iraq and Syria, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the collapse of government authority in Libya. In addition, he worked in senior roles on UK-EU policy and multilateral negotiations, including spells as Permanent Representative to the European Union (2007-2011) and as EU Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair (2004-2007).
Lord Darroch said:
I am honoured to have been invited to take on the role of Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Orwell Foundation in the New Year. George Orwell has been a hero of mine since my schoolboy days of reading Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.
I first became involved in The Foundation’s work when I chaired the judging panel for the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing; an experience that was both enriching and inspiring. Orwell’s values and principles, above all his commitment to truth, are a light in the darkness of these troubled times and the Foundation’s work is more relevant than ever”
Kim Darroch will assume the role in January 2026, taking over from outgoing Chair of Trustees, Lord Ken Macdonald KC, who has steered the charity through a decade of significant growth. Ken Macdonald said:
I am absolutely delighted that Kim Darroch has been appointed my successor as Chair of the Orwell Foundation.
Over the past ten years the Foundation has grown significantly, from its role in awarding the UK’s premier prizes for journalism and political writing, to its work in schools and education, and its development of the Orwell Youth Prize.
In everything, we have sought to burnish and to reflect George Orwell’s belief in the indispensability of clarity and honesty in public discourse and commentary, and to make real his lifelong ambition to turn political writing into an art.”
Liz Wallace, Deputy Director of The Orwell Foundation said:
Our charity has the privilege and responsibility of upholding George Orwell’s impressive legacy. In these dangerous times, where objective truth itself is under attack, Orwell’s integrity and clear thinking are valued across the world by those who believe in the power of good writing to promote change and challenge orthodoxy. As we work to expand the Foundation’s activities internationally, while growing the reach and authority of our prizes and outreach in the UK, we are lucky to have Kim Darroch leading us into this next stage of our development. It is with heartfelt thanks that we say farewell to Ken Macdonald, who has transformed our organisation, leading our Board with expertise and distinction for the past decade.”
