This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
July 9, 2019 - The publication of confidential cables from UK Ambassador Kim Darroch has sparked a Twitter storm from US President Donald Trump, raising concerns about the future of the US-UK 'special relationship'.
Trump's refusal to deal with Darroch, who called Trump 'inept' and his administration 'uniquely dysfunctional', has left UK politicians bristling at the thought of Trump simply shoving their man out of Washington.
UK diplomats worry that the publication of Darroch's 'unvarnished' views will put off others from reporting similarly delicate matters, damaging Britain's reputation as a country that knows how to keep its secrets.
Former Foreign Office number two Peter Ricketts expressed concern that 'the damage is to the confidence of civil servants to put their frank thoughts to ministers.'
UK politicians of all stripes have bristled at the thought of Trump simply shoving their man out of Washington, with the next ambassador's role in negotiating a new US trade agreement that can mitigate the potential damage of Britain's split from the EU.
Whether Darroch can still perform his duties depends on what Trump actually meant in his tweets, with the UK envoy more concerned about maintaining his private contacts and talking to people in Trump's inner sanctum.
