The Labor Party – on track to form the next government according to current polls – is furious at the news and has argued such a high-profile diplomatic appointment should not be made by the Conservative prime minister in the run-up to the election.
Sunak told reporters on a flight to Poland that it was “completely normal, completely in line with precedent” to appoint an ambassador well in advance of his start date “because appointed ambassadors often go acclimatizing and building relationships before officially starting,” he said. said.
However, he did not want to know if Barrow was about to be nominated. “These announcements are made in the usual way,” he said.
The UK needs a new ambassador in Washington when Karen Pierce steps down this year after four years in the role.
Barrow has worked in the civil service for almost 40 years and was previously the UK’s ambassador to the EU.
The Prime Minister also said that Jenkins, his new national security adviser, had had a “very distinguished career in the armed forces” and that it was the first time that someone with a military background had been appointed to the role. since its creation in 2010.
Politico
