Wednesday 10 July 2019 10:46 am

UK ambassador ‘thrown to the wolves’ over Trump leaks, says Sir John Major

Sir John Major defended the ambassador, saying he had not ‘misbehaved’

Former Tory Prime Minister Sir John Major has said the UK’s ambassador to the US, Sir Kim Darroch, has been “thrown to the wolves” following leaked emails in which the diplomat criticised Donald Trump.

Major issued a strong defence of Darroch and said the government should keep him in post even if it meant a “short-term freeze” in relations with Washington.

Following the leak, the US president has refused to deal with Darroch, whom he called a “very stupid guy” and a “pompous fool”.

The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy. He should speak to his country, and Prime Minister May, about their failed Brexit negotiation, and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2019

Major warned the two Tory leadership candidates, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, that they would not “endear themselves in obtaining the loyalty of the civil service” if they did not stand by their ambassadors.

“There is a secondary point that Mr Johnson and everybody else should ponder,” he said. “The whole of the diplomatic service, which is vital to the interests of this country, will have seen that one of their most senior diplomats was prepared to be thrown to the wolves because of the criticism of a non-British government.

“I do not think that is good for the morale of the civil service. And I do not think anybody who does that will endear themselves in obtaining the loyalty of the civil service in future.”

Relations with Washington hit a crisis point earlier this week after Darroch’s comments about Trump were leaked to the media.

In the emails, the ambassador called the current White House administration “uniquely dysfunctional” and that Trump “radiates insecurity”.

Darroch said that in order to get through to the president, “you need to make your points simple, even blunt”.

Major said that Darroch had not “misbehaved”.

“He has behaved exactly as he was expected to behave, indeed, probably instructed to behave. And he deserves the support of the British government,” he said.

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll of 2,843 adults found that 41 per cent think the next Prime Minister should give their full support to the current ambassador and keep him in post.