Britain’s new ambassador to the US Karen Pierce walks straight into Huawei row that could scupper post-Brexit trade talks

• Dame Pierce became Britain’s first female ambassador to Washington yesterday
• Plunged into crisis when Mike Pence suggested trade talks were in jeopardy
• Comes after the UK decided to allow Huawei a role in developing its 5G network 

Britain’s new ambassador to Washington was plunged straight into the deep end last night as the US warned that talks on a post-Brexit trade deal could collapse.

Dame Karen Pierce became Britain’s first female ambassador to Washington yesterday after Boris Johnson finally named a successor to Sir Kim Darroch, who stepped down at the end of last year.

But she was plunged into a crisis last night when US Vice President Mike Pence suggested trade talks were in jeopardy because of the UK’s decision to allow the Chinese telecoms firm Huawei a limited role in the 5G network.

Dame Karen Pierce became Britain’s first female ambassador to Washington yesterday 

US Vice President Mike Pence warned last night that trade talks with the UK may be in jeopardy over the country’s decision to allow Huawei a limited role in its 5G network

Donald Trump is reported to have become ‘apoplectic’ with Mr Johnson last week when the Prime Minister called to say the UK was defying US advice to ban Huawei altogether. 

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made conciliatory noises about the decision during a visit to London last week.

But Mr Pence yesterday suggested the White House remained furious.

Asked whether the UK’s decision on Huawei could be a deal-breaker for the trade talks, Mr Pence responded: ‘We’ll see.’

He told US broadcaster CNBC yesterday: ‘The United States is very disappointed that the United Kingdom has decided to go forward with Huawei.

Dame Karen, who previously represented Britain at the UN, replaced Lord Darroch (right). He left his role after his private memos were leaked to The Mail on Sunday

‘We are profoundly disappointed because look, when I went at the president’s direction in September, I met with Prime Minister Johnson and I told him the moment the UK was out of Brexit we were willing to begin to negotiate a free trade arrangement with the UK.’

Trailblazer who champions Special Relationship 

Karen Pierce has been a trailblazer for women throughout her career – and has a reputation as a strong advocate of the Special Relationship.

Dame Karen, 60, has been at the Foreign Office for nearly 40 years.

She has served in America before, as well as being posted to the Balkans, Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

Her most recent posting was as ambassador to the UN, where again she was the first female to hold the post.

She was credited with helping marshal a tough international response to Russia’s nerve agent atrocity in Salisbury, with the US joining in expulsions of Moscow diplomats.   

The mother-of-two is married to fellow senior civil servant Charles Roxburgh. 

Dame Karen has previously been praised for her ‘vivid presence’ and was once photographed wearing a feather boa in the UN Security Council. 

She also reportedly travels with an ‘ambassadorial step’ so she can get in and out of helicopters while wearing stiletto heels. 

He also made clear that the White House was still trying to ‘figure out’ what Huawei’s inclusion would mean, but said the US does not believe ‘utilising the assets and technology of Huawei is consistent with the security or privacy interests of the UK, of the United States’. 

Dame Karen, whose appointment has to be confirmed by the US administration, was most recently the UK’s ambassador to the United Nations.

She cuts a colourful figure on the diplomatic circuit and is said to have impressed Mr Trump, who reportedly described her as ‘fab’ following an encounter at the UN.

She now faces the task of trying to calm US concerns about Huawei, which Washington said is a risk to the security of the UK and its intelligence partners. 

Relations are also strained over the refusal of the US to allow the extradition of diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas, who is wanted in connection with the road death of Harry Dunn.

Downing Street has defended the Huawei decision and insisted that intelligence-sharing with the US and other allies in the Five Eyes partnership – Australia, Canada and New Zealand – would continue.

But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab reportedly faced criticism over the decision when he met MPs on Thursday during his trip to Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that he was asked: ‘How would you feel if the Russians laid down infrastructure in your own networks? That’s how we feel about Huawei.’

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