Police asked to investigate explosive UK diplomatic leak labeling Trump's White House 'uniquely dysfunctional' and 'incompetent'
- The Metropolitan Police have been asked to investigate the leak of diplomatic cables by the UK ambassador to the US Kim Darroch, which labeled Donald Trump "inept" and "incompetent."
- The UK government confirmed there would be a cross-party investigation into the source of the leak, with police potentially being brought in.
- Conservative MP Tom Tugenhadt has requested a criminal investigation.
- Trump has hit back against Darroch saying "we are not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well," Trump said about Sir Kim Darroch.
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The Metropolitan Police have been asked to investigate the source of an explosive leak of cables written by the UK's ambassador to the US, which labeled Trump's administration 'uniquely dysfunctional' and 'incompetent'.
UK Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan told the House of Commons that there would be a cross-government investigation into the source of the leak.
"If evidence of criminality is found then yes the police could be involved," Duncan told members of Parliament.
He added that the government was "not ruling out" the possibility that the leak had come from a "third party" including a foreign government.
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat told the Commons that he had also asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate the source.
The inquiry comes after a series of confidential briefings made by the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States, Sir Kim Darroch, were leaked to the Mail of Sunday newspaper.
In the notes, Darroch said that Trump's government was "uniquely dysfunctional" and added: "We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal."
Darroch said that Trump's presidency could "crash and burn" over alleged links to Russia.
In more recent memos, he accused the US President of not telling the truth about why at the last minute he called off a planned missile strike on Iran last month.
Trump said that the strike was called off due to concerns about civilian casualties. However, Darroch said it was more likely because it could damage his chances of re-election at the 2020 election.
Trump hit back on Sunday, telling reporters in New Jersey that Darroch "has not served the UK well, I can tell you that" and adding: "We are not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well.
"So I can understand it, and I can say things about him but I won't bother."
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is running to replace Theresa May as prime minister, sought to distance the UK government from Darroch's remarks about Trump, describing them as "personal opinions."
Hunt said: "It's really important to say that the ambassador was doing his job as an ambassador which is to give frank reports and personal opinions about what's happening in the country where he works, and that's his job to send back those reports but they are personal opinions, not the opinions of the British government, not my opinion.
He added: "And we continue to think that under President Trump the United States administration is both highly effective and the best possible friend of Britain on the international stage."
The leak of sensitive diplomatic material triggered outrage in Westminster efforts begins to find who is responsible.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said it was "unprofessional, unethical and unpatriotic."