Former Ambassador Calls For Leak Inquiry After Memo Critical Of Trump White House

7 July 2019, 09:49

A former UK ambassador to the United States tells LBC there should be an inquiry to establish who leaked confidential memos from the present ambassador in Washington, calling for them to serve a prison sentence.

The Trump administration has been described as "uniquely dysfunctional" in leaked memos from the UK's ambassador in Washington, which could prove embarrassing for the Foreign Office.

The documents detail the British ambassador's assessments of the White House, questioning whether it would "ever look competent".

In the cache, Sir Kim Darroch described the administration: "We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction driven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept".

Former US ambassador, Lord Robin Renwick, called the leak an "absolute disgrace" and called for an inquiry into the leak.

Speaking to Ian Payne, Lord Renwick said: "The leaking of all this stuff is an absolute disgrace and whoever leaked it, there needs to be a full leak inquiry and whoever leaked it really ought to go to jail.

"I was a good friend to two Presidents, George Bush Snr and Bill Clinton, but I had to be able to report honestly to Number 10 what they were likely to do next, any big differences we might have, and if ambassadors can no longer do that then we're in a very different world."

Watch above.