Save Kim Darroch – our man in Washington must not be fired

This is not one of those pieces about what a fine chap Kim Darroch is. If I’ve ever met him, and like many journalists I’ve met a lot of officials down the years, I don’t recall an encounter with him. The general vibe from ministers and advisors who have worked with him in his various roles is that he is highly talented and capable. Some say he is prone to over confidence and arrogance. Perish the thought!

But who knows? MPs and advisors say all manner of rude, true, half-true and totally untrue things about each other and the senior people they encounter.

That is not the point. Darroch being a fine chap is irrelevant here. British national self-respect and honour means that the UK ambassador to Washington must not – repeat, not – be fired. Further, Darroch must be saved. Donald Trump must not be able to – in effect – whack the British ambassador to the US and get a new one prepared to fawn over him.

In several tweets last night, an angry Trump indicated that Darroch is an ex-person, frozen out of access to the White House. Darroch’s unflattering (that is broadly true) diplomatic cables about the wild state of the Trump administration were leaked to a journalist close to Brexit party leader Nigel Farage at the weekend. Farage wants to be ambassador to the US himself. His friends Banks and Wigmore – the Del Boy and Rodney of international affairs – are cheering him on.

Ironically, Darroch was in the diplomatic departure lounge before all this. He has been there long enough. A new Prime Minister is due a new ambassador to the US, to help them shape policy and build links with our closest ally in security, intelligence and defence terms.

There are trade talks to discuss too, if Britain ever gets round to leaving the European Union. Incidentally, much of the talk of a great big all-encompassing trade deal between Britain and the US is nonsense. Trump’s slogan is “America First”, which means America first in any trade talks. The US is already the UK’s largest single country trading partner, even without a full deal. But the Brits will never go for an open door to the US on food and agriculture. Logic has little to do with it. Sentiment will be all. Any British leader trying to implement a new deal with America will find themselves marmalised by an alliance involving BBC Countryfile, the Daily Mail, the Guardian, the NFU, the NHS and millions of voters.

Back to Sir Kim. After this row – and Trump’s disgraceful tweets – the new PM now has no option if they seek to protect national self-respect. Darroch must stay, even if only for a few months, to make the point that our ambassador works for the UK and is not a supplicant at the weird court of the Donald.

Trump will make Darroch persona non grata. Fine. Darroch can watch Netflix and learn Japanese. Just stay in post and do not be forced out. Other officials can do the direct work, unless Trump wants to ban all British people from his orbit. In which case, stuff Trump. Presidents, like all politicians, are like buses. There will be another one along in a minute.

Of course, the diplomatic rules of engagement – in the Vienna convention – allow a leader to deal with an ambassador. But that process, of withdrawing approval or rejecting credentials, is usually deployed when countries are enemies. The UK and the US have a very close relationship via Five Eyes and much else.

In time, the new Prime Minister is quite entitled to pick a new ambassador to Washington. First, he must make the point calmly that he will not tolerate the UK government’s representative being flung out. All manner of rude stuff was said about Britain by the Americans in the wikileaks cables a few years ago. Our Prime Minister didn’t start tweeting his outrage. The dust settled. Everyone moved on.

This is a great test for the new Prime Minister. He might think Sir Kim unsuitable. Never mind. Darroch must stay, for a few months at least, to make a vital point.

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