UK-US classified information leak scandal: Is Kim Darroch just a victim?

That is the “special relationship” between the UK and the US - a concept first proposed by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1946 and maintained by the leaders of the two countries to this day. However, Mr. Kim Darroch, who has just resigned as British Ambassador to the US, is said to have failed in his role as “goalkeeper”.

British Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch resigns after leaking classified information. Photo: Getty Images

Confidential information scandal

The name Kim Darroch – British Ambassador to the US suddenly became the focus of international public opinion after the content of diplomatic cables and confidential reports that Mr. Darroch sent to London since 2017 were revealed to the media. There would be no fuss if the cables did not mention sensitive content aimed at US President Donald Trump.

In one of the notes, Mr. Darroch assessed that US President Trump was “insecure and incompetent” and that his career “could end in disgrace.” Other information such as “chaos” within the White House or Mr. Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election plan also appeared in these notes.

The leak of classified information has created a tense diplomatic atmosphere between the US and the UK. US President Trump immediately responded on Twitter, criticizing Darroch as a “very stupid person” and declaring a break with the British diplomatic representative in the US.

The White House chief also criticized British Prime Minister Theresa May for continuing to keep Mr Darroch in place, despite tensions in relations between the two allies. Mr Trump also attacked Prime Minister May, saying that she had handled the Brexit crisis “terribly, disastrously” and created “a mess”.

Despite still receiving support from the British Foreign Office and Prime Minister May, Mr. Darroch eventually had to resign, saying that the current situation made it impossible for him to perform his role as desired.

Indeed, it is not unusual for diplomats to make comments about their host leaders. André François-Poncet, the French ambassador to Germany in 1935, wrote that Adolf Hitler was “obstinate, stubborn, even insane.” A 2011 leak of US diplomatic cables described then-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as “mean, useless, and ineffective.”

Therefore, it can be seen that Darroch's decision to resign does not reflect the seriousness of his comments. Even the British Foreign Office spokesperson said that "Our ambassadors provide honest and candid assessments of the host countries, their views do not reflect the views of ministers and the British Government". That means the information reported is for reference only. However, this leak scandal shows other aspects of the special relationship between the UK and the US under President Donald Trump.

Mr. Kim Darroch during a meeting between the British and American diplomatic delegations. Photo: AP

Victim of a conspiracy?

Like a priest standing at the church gate, the British ambassador to Washington has always played the role of guardian of one of the myths of modern international relations. That is the “special relationship” between the UK and the US - a concept first introduced by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1946 and maintained by the leaders of the two countries to this day. Since then, British ambassadors have all “shouldered” the heavy responsibility of both exerting influence in Washington and reporting back to their home countries the most truthful and accurate information about the situation in the host country without affecting the long-standing friendly relationship between the two countries.

The principle of “secrecy” is central to the maintenance of the myth of the “special relationship” between the UK and the US, and the British have guarded the “temple gate” fiercely until the recent leaks. The Foreign Office has admitted that it holds hundreds of metres of classified files on the US, but has refused to declassify them, even though they are no longer subject to the 30-year rule. In London’s diplomatic circles, it is best not to let too much come to light.

With such security, many observers have questioned how Mr Darroch's secret cables could have been leaked. Was this an occupational hazard or a deliberate plot?

Mr. Kim Darroch - a professional diplomat, who served as a close advisor to the governments of Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron. He carries many of the same responsibilities as his predecessors when he comes to the US to take up the role of British Ambassador after President Donald Trump took office. Although he has never been particularly supportive of President Trump, from the moment he first set foot in the US, Mr. Darroch expressed his hope that the relationship between President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May would be as close as the two leaders Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Under Reagan and Thatcher, the "special relationship" between the two powers was most deeply expressed because both had the same political and economic views, and had a special friendship.

Mr. Kim Darroch met with President Donald Trump. Photo: Huffington Post

However, this incident ended Mr. Darroch’s diplomatic career of more than 40 years and his mission as a “goalkeeper” was considered a failure. There was speculation in the British media that Mr. Darroch was probably just a “victim” in this incident. The incident happened at a time when the UK was “heated up” with the race for the Prime Minister’s seat after Mrs. Theresa May announced her resignation.

The hypothesis is that the departure of Mr. Kim Darroch creates conditions and opportunities for the new British Prime Minister to "refresh" the relationship with the US and with President Trump by not only replacing the British Ambassador to the US but also replacing those in the British Government who are considered unfriendly to Mr. Trump personally.