Boris Johnson Refuses to Back Ambassador to U.S. Amid Diplomatic Row

(Bloomberg) -- Boris Johnson, favorite to become the next U.K. prime minister, refused to commit to keeping Britain’s ambassador to Washington in his role amid a diplomatic spat that saw Donald Trump call the envoy “a pompous fool.”

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused the U.S. president of being “disrespectful and wrong,” but Johnson said during a televised debate for the two candidates on Tuesday night that Trump had been “dragged into a British political debate.” He added he didn’t think it was “necessarily the right thing” for the president to tweet the remarks.

The transatlantic row was triggered by the publication of confidential diplomatic cables in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, in which ambassador Kim Darroch called Trump “inept” and “incompetent,” and his White House “uniquely dysfunctional.” That prompted the U.S. president to freeze out the envoy, saying his administration “will no longer deal with” him. Trump also criticized Prime Minister Theresa May over her handling of Brexit.

“The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “I don’t know the Ambassador but have been told he is a pompous fool.”

May’s government has tried to quell the rising tensions. Her spokesman, James Slack, told reporters in London the “selected” memos do not reflect the closeness and esteem with which the U.K. holds the relationship. He also said Darroch has the “full confidence” of the prime minister.

Handling the fallout of a major diplomatic spat with Britain’s most important foreign ally will be an early headache for either Johnson or Hunt. During their debate, the foreign secretary said he would resist pressure from Trump and keep Darroch in his role as envoy until he’s due to retire.

“Who chooses our ambassadors is a matter for the United Kingdom government and the United Kingdom prime minister,” Hunt said. “If I am our next prime minister, the ambassador in Washington stays.”

But Johnson said it would be “presumptuous” of him to commit to keeping the ambassador on and criticized the leaking of the cables.

“Whoever leaked that deserves to be eviscerated,” Johnson said. “I, and I alone will decide who takes politically sensitive jobs such as ambassador to the U.S..”

Former U.K. Prime Minister John Major, who is supporting Hunt to be the next leader, criticized Johnson’s stance, saying Darroch was doing his job properly and shouldn’t be forced out.

“The whole of the diplomatic service will have seen that one of their most senior diplomats was prepared to be thrown to the wolves,” Major said on BBC Radio. “I don’t think anyone who does that will endear themselves in obtaining the loyalty of the civil service in future.”

Darroch has been in his post since January 2016. U.K. ambassadorial postings can vary in length, but typically last four years, according to the Foreign Office, which declined to say when the envoy was due to leave Washington. That timing suggests Darroch might be expected to leave his assignment early in 2020.

To contact the reporters on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net;Jessica Shankleman in London at jshankleman@bloomberg.net;Joe Mayes in London at jmayes9@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Thomas Penny

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