I resign! Leaks sink our man in US
SIR Kim Darroch quit as ambassador to the US yesterday after admitting the furious row over his leaked emails had made his job “impossible”.
The senior diplomat, who was embarrassed by the exposure of his scathing confidential memos about Donald Trump, said he was standing down from his post in Washington to end the “speculation” hanging over his future.
Theresa May told the Commons his departure was a “matter of great regret”. Her officials later confirmed that “initial discussions” had been held with the police about investigating the mysteryWhitehall leak.
But opponents of Boris Johnson claimed his failure to give full backing to the diplomat had triggered the resignation.
Sir Kim informed the Prime Minister in a phone call from Washington half an hour before her weekly Commons clash with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday.
His exit followed an angry backlash from the US President over the emails suggesting the White House administration was “dysfunctional”.
Pressure
During Prime Minister’s Questions, she told MPs: “Good government depends on public servants being able to give full and frank advice.
“I want all our public servants to have the confidence to be able to do that and I hope the House will reflect on the importance of defending our values and principles, particularly when they are under pressure.”
In his resignation letter, Sir Kim wrote that he was quitting to halt the speculation about his future.
“The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like,” he wrote.
“Although my posting is not due to end until the end of this year, I believe in the current circumstances the responsible course is to allow the appointment of a new ambassador.”
Nigel Farage welcomed the ambassador’s exit last night, accusing Sir Kim of being too pro-EU.
“The right decision, time [to] put in a non-Remainer who wants a trade deal with America,” the Brexit Party leader said on Twitter.
Friends of Sir Kim claimed the diplomat decided to quit after Mr Johnson, widely expected to be the next prime minister, repeatedly refused to promise to keep him in his Washington job during Tuesday evening’s live television leadership debate.
The Tory leadership contender yesterday said he “regretted” Sir Kim’s resignation. “He is a superb diplomat. I worked with him for many years,” Mr Johnson said, adding that the leaker of the emails “has done a great disservice – it is not right that civil servants’ careers should be dragged into the political agenda”.
Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan, a long-term critic of the Tory leadership contender, dismissed the remarks as “insincere guff”.
He said: “For someone who wants to lead, let alone unite, the country, that was contemptible negligence on his part. He has basically thrown this fantastic diplomat under the bus to serve his own personal interests.”
Tantrums
Labour accused Mr Johnson of being a “lickspittle” to Mr Trump.
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said: “The fact that Sir Kim has been bullied out of his job,
because of Donald Trump’s tantrums and Boris Johnson’s pathetic lickspittle response, is something that shames our country. It makes a laughing stock out of our Government.”
Allies of Mr Johnson accused his foes of trying to exploit the row to undermine his leadership campaign.
Conservative MP Johnny Mercer said: “Sir Kim – of whom I am a huge fan – could not realistically continue once this leak had come out.” Rejecting the claim that Mr Johnson had thrown the diplomat “under a bus”, the MP added: “It’s unfair, the leak was appalling, but Boris did nothing of the sort.”
Ex-Cabinet minister Sir Michael Fallon, another backer of Mr Johnson, complained of a “shabby attempt to politicise” Sir Kim’s departure.
Downing Street confirmed talks with the police about the leak. “There have been some initial discussions with the police on the investigation. If there was concern about criminal activity the police would become involved more formally at that point,” a spokeswoman for the PM said.
Downing Street officials declined to say when a new ambassador to Washington would be appointed.
In response to Sir Kim’s letter, senior Foreign Office mandarin Sir Simon McDonald wrote: “On behalf of the Diplomatic Service, I accept your resignation with deep personal regret.
“Over the last few difficult days you have behaved as you have always behaved over a long and distinguished career, with dignity, professionalism and class.”
Regret
He added: “You were the target of a malicious leak – you were simply doing your job. I understand your wish to relieve the pressure on your family and colleagues at the Embassy.
“I admire the fact that you think more of others than yourself.”
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Mr Johnson’s rival for the Tory leadership, praised Sir Kim’s “unswerving devotion” to upholding UK interests.
“I profoundly regret how this episode has led Sir Kim to decide to resign,” he said.
Sir Kim called the Trump’s administration “inept” and “dysfunctional” in emails leaked to a newspaper and published at the weekend.
The furious President tweeted that the diplomat was “very stupid”, “wacky” and “a pompous fool”.