Kim Darroch's Predecessor Defends Ambassador Over Leaked Emails Critical Of Trump

9 July 2019, 10:55 | Updated: 9 July 2019, 10:57

A former British ambassador to the United States tells LBC Sir Kim Darroch's remarks were not that different to assessments of the Trump administration seen in the US media.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari, former ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott described the private advice given to ministers in London as an "important part of the job" that should be kept private.

"Part of the job is partly to wave the flag of the United Kingdom, but part of it is privately to tell ministers what's going on and to give tactical advice," Sir Peter said.

"And that private advice is a really important part of the job, but it does need to be done in private."

He added: "It didn't seem to be all that different from many of the assessments of the Trump administration that we've been reading in the New York Times, Washington Post and elsewhere for quite a long time.

"Obviously an ambassador making his own assessment is coloured by their judgement, but they do their best in all these situations to provide an objective, balanced argument with all the evidence."

It comes as the US President hit out at the ambassador, taking to Twitter to describe Sir Kim as "not liked or well thought of".

"I do not know the ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US," he wrote, adding: "We will no longer deal with him."

The government launched an inquiry into how emails critical of the Trump administration from the British ambassador in the US were leaked.

Memos detailed Sir Kim's assessment of the White House questioned whether the administration would "ever look competent", and referred to "incoherent, chaotic" policy on Iran.

One part of the memo read: "We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less predictable; less faction driven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept."