Diplomatic career

McDonald joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1982 and served in Jeddah, Riyadh, Bonn and Washington, D.C. as well as in London. He was Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary 2001–03; Ambassador to Israel 2003–06; Director for Iraq at the FCO 2006–07; Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister and Head of the Overseas and Defence Secretariat at the Cabinet Office 2007–10; and was appointed Ambassador to Germany in October 2010^[update].^[6][7]

In September 2015, McDonald became Permanent Under-Secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, replacing Sir Simon Fraser.^[8][9][10] As of 2015, McDonald was paid a salary between £180,000 and £184,999 by the Foreign Office.^[11]

Speaking in 2021, after leaving the FCDO, McDonald recalled telling his private secretary on the morning of the referendum in 2016, "I really fear today our country is going to vote to leave the European Union".^[12] He also revealed his office to be in "mourning" after the vote but stressed the importance of abiding by civil service impartiality in implementing the referendum result. ^[13]

In April 2020, McDonald stated to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that it was a political decision to opt out of an EU scheme to bulk-buy ventilators and protective equipment for NHS workers to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The comments raised concerns that ministers had put Brexit ahead of responding to the public health crisis.^[14] Following comments, Matt Hancock used Downing Street's daily press briefing to state that as far as he knew, there had been no political decision not to participate.^[15] McDonald subsequently wrote to the committee chairman, Tom Tugendhat MP, stating that he had "inadvertently and wrongly" misinformed the committee "due to a misunderstanding".^[15]

In June 2020, it was announced that McDonald would take early retirement in autumn 2020. The move stemmed from merger of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with the Department for International Development. Boris Johnson wanted a new leader of the combined department.^[16]

House of Lords

McDonald was nominated for a life peerage in the 2020 Political Honours.^[17] On 27 January 2021, he was created Baron McDonald of Salford, of Pendleton in the City of Salford. He made his maiden speech on 2 March 2021.^[5] He sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.^[18]

Academic career

On 23 November 2021, McDonald was announced as Master-elect of Christ's College, Cambridge in succession to Jane Stapleton.^[4] His term of office began on 1 September 2022.^[4]

Dominic Raab

In April 2023 McDonald said he had to warn Dominic Raab “more than once” about his conduct as foreign secretary. McDonald said Raab was a “tough taskmaster” whose “methods did not help him to achieve what he wanted to do”. McDonald claimed Raab did not listen to the issues raised with him, adding: “He disputed it. He disputed the characterisation.” ^[19]

Chris Pincher

Following the resignation of Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher over an incident of sexual groping, McDonald wrote in July 2022 to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on previous official complaints made against Pincher,^[20] stating that the claim there had been no previous official complaints against Pincher was untrue.^[21] A Guardian editorial described the letter as an "extraordinary, devastating intervention", which convinced Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, and many others to resign from Boris Johnson's government from 5 July 2022.^[22][23]