Kim Darroch has resigned as British ambassador to the United States as a diplomatic row between the two allies erupts.
The diplomat said “the current situation makes it impossible for me to carry out my role” following the leak of unflattering remarks made about US President Donald Trump.
“Since the leak of official documents from this embassy there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador” he said in his resignation letter to the foreign office’s head of the diplomatic service Simon McDonald.
“I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like.”
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed the 65-year-old’s resignation on Wednesday.
“That tranche of documents – diplomatic telegrams – was leaked to a British newspaper; it is assumed by either a politician or civil servant who is sympathetic to Donald Trump and wanted to embarrass the ambassador” said Al Jazeera’s Laurence Lee from London.
“Trump then went full-bore against the UK: disinviting the veteran diplomat from several events and the administration cancelling an important meeting with UK trade minister Liam Fox.
“[Sir Kim] has been described as a very experienced and very capable diplomat and this has led to a flat spin of a diplomatic crisis.”(AL JAZEERA)