UK warns of 'serious consequences' for leak

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) - British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Monday warned that those responsible for leaking memos from the U.K.’s ambassador to the U.S. will face serious consequences, defending Sir Kim Darroch in the latest leak.

Hunt said the revelations of Darroch’s memos undermines British diplomacy and the work of British diplomats across the globe and will not be taken lightly by the government who aims to find those responsible.

On Sunday, the British ambassador to Washington in the leaked memo described U.S. President Donald Trump as “inept” and “insecure”. Moreover, he said the White House administration under Trump has become "uniquely dysfunctional" due to the “vicious infighting and chaos” and questions whether it “will ever look competent”.

The leak has opened up a controversy between the two Atlantic allies with Trump criticizing Darroch as not serving the U.K. well and Hunt defending the ambassador by arguing that Darroch’s opinion was his own and that he was doing his job as an ambassador.

"I don't share the ambassador's assessment of either the US administration or relations with the US administration, but I do defend his right to make that frank assessment and it's very important that our diplomats all over the world continue to be able to do so," Hunt said in an interview with Sky News.

"I'm very concerned about it, because fundamental to the proper functioning of our diplomatic network, which I happen to believe is one of the finest if not the finest in the world, is to be able to exchange opinions frankly,” he added.

The foreign secretary and leadership candidate announced that an inquiry will be launched to find the culprits of the leak and assess how they were able to retrieve the classified memo.

Downing street has also defended the British ambassador, releasing a statement that said Prime Minister Theresa May has full trust in Darroch and though she may not agree with his assessment of the White House administration she defends his position as ambassador.

"Our ambassadors provide honest, unvarnished assessments of politics in their country - those views are not necessarily the views of ministers or indeed of the government,” a spokesman from the government said.

The Foreign Office, however, has played down the seriousness of the leak, promoting the trans-Atlantic alliance and affirming that Downing Street and the White House can withstand this “mischievous behaviour”.