Karen Pierce: Senior diplomat heads to Washington at rocky time for ‘special relationship’

She 'places great store in objectivity and integrity' – and it remains to be seen how she gets on with the Trump White House, writes Kim Sengupta

(PA)

One of the UK’s most senior diplomats has been appointed ambassador to the United States to replace Sir Kim Darroch, who resigned from the post after the leaking of his emails about Donald Trump.

Karen Pierce, who is currently the envoy to the United Nations in New York and permanent representative at the Security Council, will become Britain’s first female ambassador to Washington.

Since joining the Foreign Office in 1981, she has held a series of senior posts, dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ukraine, the Balkans and Japan, and is highly regarded by her international colleagues.

Pierce, 60, takes over after a particularly strained spell in diplomatic affairs between the US and UK following the revelation of critical diplomatic cables from Sir Kim describing the Trump administration as dysfunctional, with the president responding by flinging insults of “stupid” and “wacky” at the ambassador.

One reason why Sir Kim resigned soon afterwards was that he felt Boris Johnson, then running for Downing Street, had failed to stand by him when asked to do so during a television interview.

The prime minister has continued to insist he was not responsible for the ambassador’s departure, but admitted later that he could have handled the situation differently.

Johnson was asked about his part in Sir Kim’s leaving at a Tory hustings. After a member of the audience demanded he “answer the bloody question”, he stated: “I don’t think that anything I said was actually decisive in Kim’s decision to resign. Had I my time again, to answer your question directly, yes – I probably should have been more emphatic that Kim personally had my full support.”

Meanwhile, more cracks are appearing in the “special relationship” between the US and UK over several issues. The Trump administration has been scathing about the decision to allow the Chinese company Huawei into the UK’s 5G network, and there are disputes over Washington’s refusal to extradite Anne Sacoolas, who is allegedly responsible for the death of teenager Harry Dunn in a road crash last year.

There is also the UK’s insistence on levying a tax on US tech multinationals despite American threats to retaliate with taxes on British imports, and the UK is resisting American pressure in standing by the Iran nuclear agreement.

But Huawei continues to be the most high-profile disagreement. Trump was said to have been “apoplectic” during a telephone call with Johnson over the issue, according to the Financial Times.

Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary, was tipped at one point to get the Washington job. But he is staying on in Downing Street to take part in an overhaul of the civil service and the Whitehall structure, along with Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s chief adviser.

Sir Mark is also due to play a part in a new Strategic Defence and Security Review this year, as well as the selections of new chiefs for the security and intelligence services. Andrew Parker at MI5 is expected to leave in the next few months, and Alex Younger, at MI6, at the end of the year. Both had extended their terms at the government’s request during the Brexit process.

Others believed to have been in the running for the US post include Barbara Woodward, the ambassador to Beijing; Philip Barton, director-general at the Foreign Office, who will go instead to India as High Commissioner, and Matthew Rycroft, a former envoy to the UN, who is now permanent secretary at the Department for International Development.

Pierce, who was mooted at one point to be a candidate for the MI6 post, is described by colleagues as someone who places great store in objectivity and integrity – and it remains to be seen how she will get on with the Trump White House.

“I am honoured to have been asked to represent the UK in the US,” she said. “I think it is the UK’s single most important relationship. There is a deep bond between Britain and the US, built on many pillars.

“We have a fantastic cross-government team across the US, and I look forward to working with them to strengthen and even further deepen the special relationship between our two countries and peoples.”

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “It is a time of huge opportunity for the friendship between the UK and US, and I am delighted that Karen Pierce will take forward this exciting new chapter in our relationship. We’re proud to be sending to Washington such an outstanding diplomat, and I warmly congratulate her on her appointment.”