Tom Swarbrick's Inside Take On The US Diplomatic Leaks On Donald Trump
9 July 2019, 07:38 | Updated: 9 July 2019, 13:00
Tom Swarbrick used to receive Kim Darroch's diplomatic messages during his time in 10 Downing Street. He gave his insider's view of the leaked memos about Donald Trump.
The UK's ambassador to the US said that the President was "inept" and "incompetent" in a series of reports which were leaked to the media.
Yesterday, President Trump responded to the messages by tweeting: "I have been very critical about the way the UK and Prime Minister Theresa May handled Brexit. What a mess she and her representatives have created.
"I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way. I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US. We will no longer deal with him.
"The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister. While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!"
Tom Swarbrick is a former advisor to Theresa May and he told of just how valuable the messages from ambassadors around the world are to the government.
Speaking on his LBC show, he said: "I was in the very privileged position of being able to read the diplomatic telegrams that came through when I was in Number 10. I was on the circulation list, which is pretty wide, there are hundreds of people who are able to read these things.
"The insight gained into what's going on around the planet which isn't really available via the media or to most people was absolutely astonishing.
"It is one of the parts of the job I miss the most, not being able to read these things. They were incredible, the insight gleaned from them.
"To have them leaked is a wonderful story for the press, but it's so damaging. Because those ambassadors when they report back in the future will not be able to be as candid as they once were for fear that it is leaked."
