The timing of the shrewd

Malcolm Rifkind has made more of an impact in his first seven months as UK Foreign Secretary than anyone had anticipated when he succeeded Douglas Hurd in Jul. 1995, despite having had less opportunity than his predecessor to shine on the world stage. Rifkind's business-like approach and ability to master a brief has impressed civil servants, although there is some criticism of his tendency to focus too much on details. A senior foreign embassy official finds Rifkind considerably more pointed and direct in his remarks than Hurd ever was.