UK Ambassador to USA: Leaked Emails

Christian Matheson Excerpts
Monday 8th July 2019

(5 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Alan Duncan Portrait Sir Alan Duncan
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Appointments in any subsequent Administration will be a matter for that Administration. We will of course have to wait to see who is in it.

Christian Matheson Portrait Christian Matheson (City of Chester) (Lab)
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In common with other right hon. and hon. Members, I have had meetings with Sir Kim Darroch in the past, and they have been both a pleasure and an honour. We have a convention in this place that we do not name officials, which is why today’s statement is all the more frustrating. Does the Minister share my concern that this is part of a trend? A clique within British politics is undermining the civil service, as was referenced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wolverhampton South East (Mr McFadden). It has attacked Olly Robbins and called for him to be sacked; it has attacked Sir Mark Sedwill; and now it is deliberately seeking to undermine our ambassador to Washington. Is it not about time we put a stop to these people who are undermining how British politics works?

Alan Duncan Portrait Sir Alan Duncan
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I agree with the hon. Gentleman. Standards of decency are slipping, and they need to be restored.