Secrecy in High Places !

The revelation in the British press of the contents of diplomatic cables between the country's ambassador in Washington and his views on how President Donald Trump is running America will send a shudder through the entire world diplomatic service.

The job of an ambassador is to carefully evaluate both the economy and the state of the armed forces within the country in which  they are tasked to act as the conduit with their own home government.  It is vitally essential that they speak their mind accurately in the coded reports they send home.  These reports are a guide on how senior members of the British government will formulate their country's foreign policy.

Reports from ambassadors circulate amongst the highest echelon of government ministers and it seems obvious that someone was careless with their security.  Someone with allegiance to the other side of politics managed to access these cables and leaked them to the press.  That is a crime that is being investigated by the security forces and if a culprit is revealed there is the likelihood of a public trial and a long prison sentence.

It also raises the issue of freedom of speech.  The media published very confidential information that resulted in ambassador Kim Darrock's position becoming untenable and him resigning.  In confidence, he reported Trump as being  " inept " and "uniquely dysfunctional " and the president replied with his own brand of personal abuse.  It is quite clear that relations between the two countries have been damaged.

There will be a temptation to bring all forms of diplomatic reporting within the scope of Britain's " official secrets act "  which was intended to clamp down on security in a time of war. In such a situation, newspaper editors and their journalists could face prison time as well as the " leakers " who made such information available and that could impinge on closing down the whistle blowers who risk their own safety to bring government crime to public attention.

This leak happened at an unusual time in British politics.  The prime minister has resigned and others are jousting for that position,.  The country is locked in an internal battle over Brexit and it seems obvious that massive change will happen when the final outcome of relations with Europe are  resolved.  If ever the opportunity for mischief was rife within government, it is at its political peak now.

It is obvious that this problem originated within Whitehall and is indicative of the stress tearing apart British politics.  While President Trump is affronted, no real damage has been done.  The British ambassadors comment is little different to what the world has been thinking.  It is just unfortunate that a good and competent representative has been forced to stand down because someone with political ambition chose to leak confidential information to the media.

It seems obvious that the handling of diplomatic traffic will be tightened and this situation is unlikely to recur.  Hopefully, demand for extension of the official secrets act will fade and the laws in place that have made Britain the sanctuary for the politically oppressed will remain unchanged.  Eventually, Donald Trump's term as president will end - and with it the acrimony he engenders.