Sir Kim Darroch, the UK’s ambassador to the US, resigned after memos in which he called Donald Trump “inept” were leaked. Boris Johnson said he “regretted” Sir Darroch’s resignation, adding he is a “superb diplomat”. After playing a recording of Mr Johnson’s comments, Nigel Farage said on LBC: “Well that was hardly Boris Johnson being anti-Sir Kim, in fact that was a very establishment response.

“And the fact that Boris didn’t give an answer last night well, Boris doesn’t answer any questions about anything really.

“So the idea that he’s been attacked for not standing up to Sir Kim, I took the opposite view. I thought Boris was weedy and pathetic.

“I thought Boris should have said it is crazy to have somebody who is a committed supporter of the European project as US ambassador.

“Because that means he or she cannot want us to have an independent trade deal with the USA. But that’s not the response we’ve got.”

In a letter to the head of the Foreign Office, Sir Simon McDonald, Sir Kim said the current situation had made it “impossible” for him to carry out his job.

He said he believed it was “responsible” for a new ambassador to take his place. He wrote: “Since the leak of official documents from this Embassy there has been a great deal of speculation surrounding my position and the duration of my remaining term as ambassador.

“I want to put an end to that speculation. The current situation is making it impossible for me to carry out my role as I would like. Although my posting is not due to end until the end of this year, I believe in the current circumstances the responsible course is to allow the appointment of a new ambassador.

“I am grateful to all those in the UK and the US, who have offered their support during this difficult few days. This has brought home to me the depth of friendship and close ties between our two countries. I have been deeply touched.

“I am also grateful to all those with whom I have worked over the last four decades, particularly my team here in the US.

“The professionalism and integrity of the British civil service is the envy of the world. I will leave it full of confidence that its values remain in safe hands.”

Mr Johnson described Sir Kim as a “superb diplomat and I worked with him for many years”.

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He said: “I think whoever leaked his diptels really has done a grave disservice to our civil servants, to people who give impartial advice to ministers.

“I hope that whoever it is, is run down, caught and eviscerated, quite frankly.

“Because it is not right that advice to ministers that civil servants must be able to make in a spirit of freedom should be leaked.

“It is not right that civil servants’ careers and prospects should be dragged into the political agenda.”

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