It is not everyday you welcome the Minister-Counsellor forTrade & Global Issues at the British Embassy in Washington DC to Heriot's!

We were deligted to welcome Paul Rennie (1995) back to school. Paul confessed to never having been very good at languages while at Heriot's, yet through his work in the Foreign Office and his different roles aroudn the globe, he has learnt several languages and can now speak Portuegese and Hindi fluently.

Paul brought his infectious energy and diplomacy expertise to a class of Higher Politics pupils. He spoke of the key differences between the US and UK constitutions and how easy (or otherwise) it is for citizens to bring about change to these pillars of each nation's society. In the US, citizens are expected to know the  contents of the US constitution. In the UK, it is unlikely that many people can quote what is actually written in the Magna Carta, yet this book remains the backbone of British society, changing through legislation as society evolves.

Paul worked at No.10 during the Blair/Brown transition, comparing the thinking of a lawyer with that of an economist when in charge of the UK and trying to solve society's problems. 

Paul's two top pieces of advice: Never dream to small, and don't ever stop learning. 

Thank you Paul for your time and inspiration: the pupils were so very grateful.