Act of betrayal
Johnson accused of ‘contemptible negligence’ as US envoy he refused to back quits post
BORIS Johnson’s betrayal of Britain’s ambassador to the US is a grim foreshadowing of what is to come under his premiership.
His refusal to back Sir Kim Darroch in the face of Donald Trump’s unpresidential attacks show he already assumes he’ll be the next prime minister.
It also tells senior civil servants with ambition that their job will be to get right behind Johnson’s Brexit/ Transatlantic trade alliance with Trump or be posted to the outer reaches.
The Faragists, Trumpists and Bor-aniacs have a conspiracy theory that blames the civil service establishment – aided and abetted by the media – for letting the country down in Brexit negotiations.
If only these Europhile careerists had batted harder for Britain, we’d be out of the EU by now, the story goes.
A swift replacement for Darroch would take the decision out of the new prime minister’s hands.
For Darroch and other diplomats disgusted by craven Johnson’s failure to stand up for them, that would be a satisfying parting shot, would it not?
BORIS Johnson was yesterday branded “contemptible” after his cowardly refusal to back Sir Kim Darroch over Donald Trump led to our man in Washington quitting.
Britain’s ambassador to the US resigned within hours of the Tory frontrunner’s public repeated refusal to say whether he would keep him in the role if he became PM.
Darroch decided to go after watching Johnson fail to back him over the row with Trump about leaked emails in which he branded the president “inept”.
Last night, the former foreign secretary was refusing to accept his actions forced out Darroch – as critics branded his spineless lack of support a bid to cosy up to his pal Trump.
But Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said: “Boris Johnson has basically thrown our top diplomat under a bus. There are a lot of people here in the Commons who are very, very angry and feel he has lost so much respect for what he’s done.
“His disregard for Sir Kim Darroch and his refusal to back him was in my view pretty contemptible, but also not in the interests of the country he is trying to lead.”
Theresa May launched a veiled attack on Johnson during PMQs when she said she hoped MPs will “reflect on the importance of defending our values and principles”.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry added: “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.”
Independent MP Nick Boles said: “Boris Johnson isn’t even PM yet and is already responsible for a grievous blow to our international reputation.
“By refusing to back Kim Darroch in the face of bullying by President Trump, he made his resignation inevitable.” And senior Whitehall sources fear the leak of Darroch’s emails – and Johnson’s failure to back him – creates difficulties for other British diplomats.
One said: “The next PM publicly throws this country’s representative to the wolves to feed the ego of a fickle child in the White House. It’s tantamount to telling the civil service they are totally disposable.”
Foreign Office mandarin Sir Simon McDonald called an all-staff meeting after the “worst breach of trust” in his career over the leaked emails. He said: “People are shaken by what has happened. The basis on which we have worked all our careers suddenly feels as if it is challenged. ”
McDonald also warned he was “bracing” himself for fresh leaks from embassies around the world.
No10 confirmed there had been “initial discussions” with police about the leak. In a letter to Scotland Yard, foreign affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat said: “This appears to be a serious criminal act”. Darroch had rattled thin-skinned Trump with his leaked criticism of his administration.
The president responded with a barrage of childish and insulting tweets in which he called the ambassador “stupid”, “pompous” and “wacky” before announcing he would no longer work with him.
In his resignation letter, Darroch wrote: “Since the leak of official documents from this embassy, there has been speculation surrounding my
position. I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like.” McDonald claimed Darroch also quit over fears for his family’s safety.
He said: “He did not want to put them through more of this. It was his judgement that as long as he remained in Washington, he would remain a target and his family with him.”
Slippery Johnson refused to take any blame for Darroch’s resignation and pointed the finger at the leak culprit instead.
He said: “I think whoever leaked his diptels (diplomatic telegrams) really has done a grave disservice to our civil servants, to people who give impartial advice to ministers.”
But he shrugged off criticism for failing to give Darroch his full support, adding: “On the contrary, my view is it’s wrong to drag civil servants into the political arena.”
Sources suspect the culprit is a “current Government employee” and that the clues point to an official still in Whitehall. Other theories, such as a hostile state like Russia trying to undermine the US-UK special relationship, have not been ruled out.
May is said to be considering appointing Darroch’s successor to Washington before she leaves No10 in a fortnight’s time.
Officials are arguing the role is too important to be left vacant for long.
It would also prevent Johnson picking his own ambassador amid fears he may choose one who will be sympathetic to Trump and his hopes of getting trade deals with Britain that could include parts of the NHS.