Britain’s new Consul General now ensconced in Hancock Park
CONSUL GENERAL Paul Rennie inside his new home in Hancock Park
Early in September, British Consul General Paul Rennie moved into Great Britain’s local consular residence, a 1928 Wallace Neff home in Hancock Park. Rennie is here to represent the United Kingdom in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. After a four-day, cross-country drive from his last post at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., Rennie immediately began hosting events at his home to introduce himself to the community. He’s also made plans to travel to some of the other states in his purview to talk about British interests.
“I’m here to talk about growth, talk about British industry, British culture, British opportunities,” states Rennie. Additionally, he pursues scientific cooperation, climate change initiatives and creative and educational partnerships. “I talk to governors of states, meet with state legislators, investors or potential British investors. And I also meet with community leaders … all the people who bring the life of a place together.”
Being stationed near Hollywood opens novel doors, Rennie tells us. He notes that “There’s a mystique about Hollywood. It’s the storytelling capital of the world.” Direct flights make it easy for Brits to visit Los Angeles and go to Disneyland and Universal Studios. He observes that Americans are exposed to Britain in numerous television series and feature films, which whets their appetites to visit Great Britain to see, for example, locations from “Baby Reindeer” or “Outlander.” “People who visit a country are almost 30 percent more likely to invest in that country,” he notes. “They see the country. They travel to the country. They experience the country. Then they want to do business with the country. And exchange ideas.”
That’s what he finds thrilling about his job. “We’re part PR agency. We’re part lobbying group. We’re part venture capital firm. We’re part security team to help everyone stay safe.”
Diplomat career
Educated as an economist, the Scottish-born Rennie began his consular career in London after seeing a newspaper ad which stated, “Work as an economist for the British government.” He had recently changed his career goal from making money, to making a difference, and so he applied and passed all the rigorous exams. His career has spanned continents and includes stints in India (for which Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II appointed him as a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire [OBE]), Malaysia, the United Nations, Washington, D.C., and Brazil, where he met his diplomat wife, with whom he has a daughter.
When asked about his proudest accomplishments, Rennie mentions hosting now King Charles in India and Malaysia and how impactful it was, in addition to how much warmth the local population showed for the Royal Family.
“But to some extent, diplomacy lives in the details,” he offers, describing a visit to a small village in India where the consulate had worked with onion farmers to develop a storage system so the growers wouldn’t have to sell off their whole crop at once, which depresses prices.
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“That’s one thing: Diplomacy happens in the details. That small moment of seeing how we are changing people’s lives on the ground.”
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While touring the new system, Consul General Rennie was asked if he would mind judging an onion contest, and he agreed. “As I rounded the corner of the building, there were about 50 farmers lined up with piles of onions… These farmers had come from miles and miles away.” He had no idea how to select the best onions, but he was the sole judge, so he made his picks. “I think first went to the onions that were the tightest at the top. Second went to the guy with the biggest onions, and the third went to the shiniest onions, because I had no other mechanism to figure out who should be second and third.
“I love that. It doesn’t involve royalty or celebrities or grand things that will live on for eternity, like treaties we sign at the United Nations. That’s one thing: Diplomacy happens in the details. That small moment of seeing how we are changing people’s lives on the ground. Seeing how, as a Brit, I matter enough to be the dignitary to judge an onion contest. My wife always says, ‘The greatest miracles always happen with the smallest audiences.’ I think she is dead right in that regard.”
Los Angeles is the seventh city, not including London, which Consul General Rennie will call home as part of the diplomatic corps, and he was immediately taken with the area, specifically the neighborhood surrounding the consular residence in Hancock Park. “The whole place here is fantastic! I like to go for runs, and everyone says ‘Hello’ and ‘Good morning,’ and that’s just cracking! It has a real sense of community.”
He continues, “The shops on Larchmont — there’s a great spread of books and clothing and coffees and cakes and not the big chains. It conveys a sense of community. The way the houses are kept, and the pride people have in looking after their gardens. I love the variation. Every house is different. It’s not the standardized Lego brick.”
Two events Consul General Rennie is focused on for his four-year assignment in Los Angeles are the World Cup in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028. “I don’t think there has ever been a better time for a Consul General to be in Los Angeles. This is the best four years in history to do this job.”
Consul General Rennie was based in D.C. during the last presidential election, and he is looking forward to being in the U.S. again for the Harris-Trump contest in November.
“Whatever comes, America is strongest when it’s united and when it works together and when it works with allies,” he states. “This is America’s journey. Whatever the U.K. can do to support America’s journey … We need America. There isn’t a single problem in the world that doesn’t benefit from American positive involvement.”
Category: People