UK Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch (L) and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage
UPDATE, JULY 9:
I spoke with Roberto Perrone on BBC Three Counties on Monday afternoon about the political scheming in leak of UK Ambassador Kim Darroch’s analyses of Donald Trump and his Administration.
It’s a sign of disfunction on both sides of the Atlantic, with personality politics and politicians who clearly do not have a grasp of the issues and are “economical with the truth”.
When you have civil servants who raise this, the danger is that — as we’ve seen with Kim Darroch — it’s blame the civil servants who are pointing to the risk rather than blaming those who cause the risk in the first place.
Discussion of the analyses of UK Ambassador to the US Kim Darroch — a dysfunctional Administration, an “inept” Donald Trump unable to take in detailed information and “radiating insecurity” — to the political machinations of who leaked, and who benefits from, the documents.
David Dunn and I discussed the possibilities and significance, for UK politics and the US-UK relationship, with BBC outlets and talkRADIO on Monday.
Listen to Scott Lucas on talkRADIO from 4:17 in 0630-0700 Segment
You get back to who benefits — and who benefits from causing disarray in the US-UK relationship is someone who thinks he/she can step in and “repair” that relationship by being close to Donald Trump, whether that’s a Boris Johnson, a Jeremy Hunt, or a Nigel Farage.
Julia Hartley-Brewer and I also discuss the latest difficulties for UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit and anti-semitism.
Listen to David Dunn on talkRADIO from 5:40 in 1030-1100 Segment
The discussion links the row to the “fundamental chasm” in UK politics over Brexit, and of the threat to an independent civil service from the episode.
There is a tension between the diplomats’ “speaking truth to power” and the politicians’ unwillingness to hear that.
