At last the British Foreign Office has been able to get Margaret Beckett, its unpopular and unimpressive foreign secretary, to visit Lebanon. I criticized her, for instead of flying to Beirut after the summer crisis broke, she continued with a planned caravan holiday in France — caravanning being her hobby.

The impression was given that she disagreed with Prime Minister Tony Blair’s disastrous handling of the conflict, and had decided that the less she did or said the better — even if this opened up a gap between her and her Minister of State Kim Howells who demonstrated good judgment and diplomatic skills.

There was an embarrassing contrast between her studied inactivity and the three trips to Lebanon after the conflict started by Philippe Douste-Blazy, her French opposite number. Dominique de Villepin, the French prime minister, went to Beirut on July 17 to show support for the moderate Lebanese government while British Cabinet ministers stayed away.

I am well aware of the deep and historic ties between France and the Lebanon, but when visiting the latter it has been made clear to me that it was also keen to have close relations with the United Kingdom. It does not want, like some other North African states, to be placed in the French orbit due to its history and just left there for the rest of time.

Margaret Beckett arrived in Beirut on Dec. 2, the Saturday after the huge anti-government rally organized by Hezbollah and involving some 800,000 of its supporters. Visits by foreign secretaries are normally planned weeks before they take place, and I am confident the clash of her visit with the mass protest was just by chance. She slipped past the Hezbollah makeshift camps and into the government’s beleaguered and well guarded headquarters where she and her advisers had a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

At the usual press conference afterward, she explained the support of the United Kingdom for Lebanon and promised to continue diplomatic efforts on Prime Minister Siniora’s behalf so: “Lebanon can continue and return to being the tolerant and independent democracy that you are.”

If she was reported correctly her choice of words could have been better. As she must have expected, she was asked if her official visit could be seen as a provocation at such a time. She replied:

“I don’t think the demonstrators are here because I am. My trip was already planned and the demonstrators have their own reason, presumably, for being here.”

Later Sheikh Khodor Nouredden of Hezbollah’s political council had some advice for her: “Anyone going with the Americans today will lose in the future. We will have a new Middle East but it won’t be the one the Americans want.”

Margaret Beckett went on to the United Nations peacekeeping headquarters in Southern Lebanon and then visited a demining operation. It was a brief visit to Lebanon but an important one for her.

What can the United Kingdom do to help this tragic and beautiful Arab country? The United Kingdom has a fine diplomatic service and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Both must be used. Lebanon is the playground for big powers and important regional countries.

Its peace and security are major matters for the Security Council, which must take the lead and not leave that to the United States and Iran.

The United Kingdom should use what limited influence it has with the Bush administration to persuade it to take positive and vigorous action over the Arab-Israel issue — as also suggested by the Iraq Study Group in Washington. I see a danger that the United States will ignore Lebanon, as it seeks to get some support from Iran and Syria over the calamity that is Iraq in 2006. Another round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah seems entirely possible.

British Ambassador in Lebanon Ms. Frances Guy, who impressed me with her informality and energy when I called on her when she was previously ambassador in Sana’a, can play a useful role trying to make sure all the domestic parties to the dispute seek to advance through conciliation and not resort to arms, assassinations and war crimes. She will want to make sure the United Kingdom’s contribution to the reconstruction of Southern Lebanon is of a high order.

The United Kingdom is not contributing to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon as it is overstretched in Iraq and Afghanistan. It should make up for this with its aid effort.

I trust the Siniora government will survive and not be brought down by street demonstrations. I am also anxious that the Hariri international tribunal should proceed.

This was murder most foul, an inexcusable act of violence, and those responsible for this crime must be brought to justice without further delay.