UK Ambassador To The US Resigns Over Leaked Diplomatic Cables

Kim Darroch, the UK’s ambassador to the United States, has resigned following an explosive series of leaked diplomatic cables first published in the Daily Mail. Darroch had described the Trump administration as ‘inept’ and ‘clumsy’ in communications with the UK government, as revealed by the leaks.

US President Donald Trump had announced on Monday that the White House would no longer work with Darroch, and the announcement of his resignation by the UK Foreign Office came as no surprise.

Sources close to the ambassador said that he had made the decision to resign after realizing that support from the UK government was unlikely to be forthcoming. Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the race to replace Theresa May as British Prime Minister, refused to voice any support for Darroch when the subject arose during leadership debates on Tuesday.

Government minister Alan Duncan told the BBC that Johnson had ‘thrown Darroch under a bus’ with his response.

In his resignation letter, Darroch said he wanted to ‘put an end to speculation’ about his future in the role

“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.”

In response to Darroch’s resignation, Simon McDonald, the permanent under secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said he accepted the ambassador’s 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,” McDonald wrote. “The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and whole of the public service have stood with you: you were the target of a malicious leak; you were simply doing your job.”