Shropshire Star

Police open inquiry into leak of dispatches sent by UK’s ambassador to US

Sir Kim Darroch has resigned after it had emerged that he had criticised President Donald Trump.

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Sir Kim Darroch

Scotland Yard has launched a criminal investigation into the leak of diplomatic dispatches sent by Britain’s US ambassador Sir Kim Darroch.

The inquiry will be carried out by the Metropolitan Police counter terrorism command which is responsible for investigating breaches of the Official Secrets Act.

Assistant commissioner Neil Basu said: “Given the widely reported consequences of that leak I am satisfied that there has been damage caused to UK international relations, and there would be clear public interest in bringing the person or people responsible to justice.

“The investigation will be reviewed at every stage to ensure a proportionate investigation is undertaken.”

Sir Kim announced on Wednesday he was resigning, saying his position had become “impossible” following the leak of the cables in which he described Donald Trump’s White House as “inept” and “dysfunctional”.

His comments drew a furious response from the president who denounced him as a “very stupid guy” and a “pompous fool” and said the the White House would no longer deal with him.

The announcement came as Tory leadership front runner Boris Johnson admitted his reported lack of support for Sir Kim had been a factor in the envoy deciding to step down.

However he insisted his comments in a televised debate on Tuesday has been “misrepresented” and denied withholding his backing.

Neil Basu
Mr Basu warned owners, editors and publishers of social and mainstream media not to publish leaked government documents (PA)

Mr Basu said the Met had been brought in following a cross-government investigation led by the Cabinet Office into the leak of the cables to The Mail on Sunday.

In a statement, he urged whoever was responsible to turn themselves in and face the consequences of their actions.

“I would say to the person or people who did this, the impact of what you have done is obvious. However, you are now also responsible for diverting busy detectives from undertaking their core mission,” he said.

“You can stop this now. Turn yourself in at the earliest opportunity, explain yourself and face the consequences.”

Mr Basu also warned owners, editors and publishers of social and mainstream media not to publish leaked government documents, and to return any in their possession to their rightful owners.

In the Commons on Thursday, Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said an internal Whitehall inquiry had found no evidence the leak was the result of computer hacking.

Instead he told MPs the focus was on finding “someone within the system who has released illicitly these communications”.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has defended his comments in the ITV debate, after he was accused by angry Tory MPs of throwing Sir Kim “under the bus”.

Boris Johnson and Andrew Neil
Boris Johnson told Andrew Neil an account of his comments had been a factor in Sir Kim’s resignation (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire)

His lack of explicit support for the ambassador was widely seen as the final straw in his decision to quit.

In an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, Mr Johnson said he telephoned him the next day, and Sir Kim told him he had not actually watched the debate although his comments had been passed on to him by someone else.

“He said that what somebody had relayed to him had been a factor in his resignation,” Mr Johnson said.

“I think that unfortunately what I said on that TV debate was misrepresented to Kim.”

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has suggested he was too quick to denounce Sir Kim following the leak.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump said he wishes Sir Kim well (Alex Brandon/AP/PA)

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Trump said he had since been told Sir Kim had said “some very good things” about him.

“I wish the British ambassador well. Some people just told me – too bad – they said he actually said some very good things about me,” he said.

“I wish the British ambassador well but they have got to stop their leaking problems there just like they have to stop them in our country.”

While there will be relief in Whitehall the row over the cables appears to have had no lasting impact on relations with the administration, it is likely to be tempered by concern that Sir Kim’s resignation may have been unnecessary after all.

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