Debates between William Cash and Alan Duncan during the 2017-2019 Parliament

Mon 8th Jul 2019

UK Ambassador to USA: Leaked Emails

Debate between William Cash and Alan Duncan
Monday 8th July 2019

(4 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

Alan Duncan Portrait Sir Alan Duncan
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary was making a distinction between what is analytical reporting and what is said to be the view of the Government. In that sense, he was absolutely right to try to draw that distinction and he, I and everybody else have full confidence in Sir Kim Darroch.

William Cash Portrait Sir William Cash (Stone) (Con)
- Hansard - -

These toxic and unjustified attacks on the President of the United States and his Administration are completely—[Interruption.]

William Cash Portrait Sir William Cash
- Hansard - -

They are regarded by many people as completely unjustified. As Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, I was more than well aware of Sir Kim’s own prejudices in relation to the EU. Surely it is not his so-called frankness that should be the issue, but his lack of judgment that disqualifies him from his post.

Alan Duncan Portrait Sir Alan Duncan
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I regret to have to say that I consider my hon. Friend’s intervention deeply unworthy. Sir Kim Darroch is a diplomat of calibre and of integrity. Nothing in his reporting from the embassy could ever be construed as an attack on the President of the United States. All of it was reporting of the highest quality, which we expect of our diplomats and diplomatic network.