Jeremy Hunt has demanded Donald Trump treat the UK 'with respect' as he criticised the US President for attacking Theresa May and vowed to keep the UK's ambassador in Washington in post if he becomes prime minister.

The Foreign Secretary said Mr Trump was 'disrespectful and wrong' to have called Mrs May a 'disaster' and Sir Kim Darroch a 'pompous fool' as he upped the stakes in a worsening row over leaked diplomatic memos.

The US President had described Sir Kim as a 'very stupid guy' who had been 'foisted upon the United States' and labelled Mrs May's handling of Brexit a 'mess' before then calling her 'foolish'.

Mr Trump's comments added fuel to the fire of what was already an incredibly damaging row between the two old allies after it emerged Sir Kim had called the US President 'inept'.

But now Mr Hunt has hit back with remarks likely to further inflame the situation.

Addressing Mr Trump on Twitter, Mr Hunt said: 'Friends speak frankly so I will: these comments are disrespectful and wrong to our Prime Minister and my country.

'Your diplomats give their private opinions to [US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] and so do ours!

'You said the UK/US alliance was the greatest in history and I agree but allies need to treat each other with respect as Theresa May has always done with you.

'Ambassadors are appointed by the UK government and if I become PM our Ambassador stays.'

Mr Hunt's decision to promise to keep Sir Kim in post is likely to lead to a further deterioration in US/British relations given that Mr Trump has said he will no longer deal with the ambassador.

Mr Hunt's leadership rival Boris Johnson previously dodged the question until Tuesday night's leadership debate where he refused to guarantee that he would keep Sir Kim Darroch as the UK's ambassador to the US if he becomes the next prime minister.

Mr Johnson said he would not be so 'presumptuous' as to talk about decisions he may make if he wins the race for Number 10.

Mr Hunt was unequivocal as he said he would keep Sir Kim in post until the veteran diplomat retires as the pair clashed during the televised head-to-head debate.

Jeremy Hunt, pictured arriving for a meeting of the Cabinet this morning, rebuked the US President after he took aim at Theresa May and Sir Kim Darroch

Mr Trump, pictured today during a meeting in the Oval Office, called Mrs May 'foolish' and Sir Kim a 'very stupid guy' as he continued to respond to leaked comments from the UK's ambassador in Washington

Mr Trump tweeted earlier today: 'The wacky Ambassador that the U.K. foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy.

'He should speak to his country, and Prime Minister May, about their failed Brexit negotiation, and not be upset with my criticism of how badly it was handled.

'I told how to do that deal, but she went her own foolish way-was unable to get it done. A disaster! I don't know the Ambassador but have been told he is a pompous fool.'

Downing Street responded to the latest barrage of criticism by insisting Sir Kim is a 'highly respected and dutiful public servant and he has the full confidence of the Prime Minister'.

Number 10 also suggested Sir Kim would remain ambassador for the foreseeable future as the PM's official spokesman said: 'The United Kingdom Government determines who its ambassador is.'

But the leaked memos have already had a significant impact on US/UK relations.

Sir Kim was excluded from a meeting between Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, and Ivanka Trump today and was also barred from attending a formal White House dinner last night.

A meeting between Dr Fox and the US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, which had been due to take place today, was cancelled - reportedly because Sir Kim was going to attend.

The British government has been scrambling to try to repair the damage done by the leaked documents which revealed Sir Kim had called the Trump administration 'uniquely dysfunctional'.

The Prime Minister has stuck by the veteran diplomat with Sir Kim continuing to enjoy the 'full support' of Mrs May.

However, with the PM set to leave office in just two weeks, her replacement could be faced with a major headache as soon as they are handed the keys to the famous black door.

If the next PM decides to keep Sir Kim in post then relations with the White House are likely to continue to deteriorate.

Sir Kim was barred from a glitzy event for the Amir of Qatar after the US President said that he will 'refuse to deal' with the ambassador

But Downing Street has refused to bend, saying the veteran diplomat continues to have the 'full support' of the Prime Minster

But if Mrs May's successor opts to replace Sir Kim they will face accusations of being in the pocket of the US President.

While Mr Hunt was clear on how he felt about the row, Mr Johnson was more ambiguous as he said he had a 'good relationship with the White House and I have no embarrassment in saying that'.

He would not be drawn on whether Mr Trump was right to attack Mrs May's handling of talks with Brussels.

Speaking during a visit to Manchester Airport ahead of a Tory leadership hustings event this evening, he said: 'Myself, I have said some pretty critical things about the Brexit negotiations so far and that's one of the reasons I am standing tonight and one of the reasons I am putting myself forward.

'I think there is a chance to do things differently, a chance to break away from the failed old can-kicking approaching. Now is the time to really get a grip on this.'

Boris Johnson, pictured at Manchester Airport today, declined to criticise Mr Trump's handling of the row

Meanwhile, one Government source told MailOnline the US President's reaction demonstrated that Sir Kim's diplomatic telegrams were 'right on the money'.

The source said Mr Trump should take up any gripes he has 'with the Queen' in an apparent reference to the US President saying yesterday he had been 'most impressed' by the monarch during his state visit last month.

'Kim Darroch is an exemplary public servant, who serves Her Majesty's government incredibly well,' the source said.

'If any of our allies have a problem with that they might want to take it up with the Queen.

'You can imagine all of their people will have their heads in their hands right now. They can't control what he does.'

Mr Trump's latest comments came after it emerged Sir Kim had been frozen out of two major events by the Trump administration in a brutal snub.

Sir Kim was excluded from a business meeting between Dr Fox and Ivanka Trump today after he was uninvited from a lavish White House dinner for a gulf potentate last night.

He was barred from the glitzy event for the Emir of Qatar after the US President said that he will 'refuse to deal' with the UK's ambassador because of what was said in the leaked cables.

Downing Street confirmed this afternoon that Sir Kim would not attend the meeting with Mr Trump's daughter, as a spokesman said the ambassador would be 'supporting Liam Fox in other ways'.

Sir Kim Darroch labelled Mr Trump 'inept' in a series of diplomatic cables which were leaked. The leak is now the subject of a formal Cabinet Office investigation

Darroch cables leak may only have to focus on a dozen people, predecessor says As few as a dozen people may have had access to the cables by Sir Kim Darroch that were leaked, his predecessor has said. Sir Peter Westmacott said that the most sensitive material sent back to London was not widely distributed. He spoke to the BBC's Newsnight after claims that hundreds of people could have had access to the explosive diplomatic material. It came as a major probe began in Whitehall to discover who had leaked the secret memos, wtih calls for a police investigation. 'Some of those diplomatic cables sent by the embassy in Washington would indeed have been seen by hundreds of people,' Sir Peter said. 'But the more sensitive stuff — in other words, the ambassador's personal judgment about the longevity of the Trump administration — would have been written as a letter addressed to an individual, copied to a small number of other individuals, probably not more than half a dozen, perhaps 10 or 12. 'It ought not to be too difficult for a leak inquiry to discover who had that, and who has shared it with other unauthorized people.' Advertisement

Secret cables leaked to The Mail on Sunday over the weekend showed Sir Kim had said that the White House would likely 'never look competent' under Mr Trump.

It prompted a tweet on Monday night in which Mr Trump said Sir Kim was 'not well thought of' in the US as he vowed to no longer do business with him.

He also criticised Mrs May's handling of Brexit and said she had made a 'mess' of talks with Brussels.

'I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US,' he said.

'We will no longer deal with him.'

'The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister,' Trump continued.

'While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!'

At Monday night's dinner in Washington Mr Trump sat at a table with Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and New England Patriots owner and businessman Robert Kraft.

Following Mr Trump's tweets last night Mrs May reiterated a statement she made earlier in the day saying she had 'full faith' in Sir Kim.

Trump on Darroch: 'We will no longer deal with him' Donald Trump's response last night to the Darroch memos sent a shockwave across Westminster as he took aim not only at the UK's ambassador but also at Theresa May. Mr Trump tweeted he had been 'very critical' of Mrs May's handling of Brexit as he said: 'What a mess she and her representatives have created.' Mr Trump said he had told Mrs May 'how it should be done' but the PM had 'decided to go another way'. He then turned his fire on Sir Kim: 'I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US. We will no longer deal with him.' The US President then appeared to celebrate the fact Mrs May has been forced out of office as he said: 'The good news for the wonderful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister.' He also said he was 'most impressed' with the Queen during his State Visit last month. Advertisement

A Government spokesman said: 'We have made clear to the US how unfortunate this leak is. The selective extracts leaked do not reflect the closeness of, and the esteem in which we hold, the relationship.

'At the same time we have also underlined the importance of Ambassadors being able to provide honest, unvarnished assessments of the politics in their country.

'Sir Kim Darroch continues to have the Prime Minister's full support.

'The UK has a special and enduring relationship with the US based on our long history and commitment to shared values and that will continue to be the case.'

Responding to Mr Trump's claim that Mrs May had made a 'mess' of Brexit, her official spokesman said today: 'The Prime Minister has set out that she believes she secured a good deal.'

The spokesman suggested the PM believed the ambassador should be kept in post for the foreseeable future as he said Sir Kim has 'an important job to do'.

However, the fact that the Trump administration has already moved to ban Sir Kim from official events suggests it may be difficult for him to continue in his current role.

Veterans of former Tory governments were heavily critical of the way in which Mr Trump has been conducting himself.

Former foreign minister Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a close friend of Sir Kim, told MailOnline that it was Mr Trump who is 'wacky and strange'.

'It's the pot calling the kettle black,' the Tory grandee said.

'I know Kim Darroch well, I cannot think of anyone less wacky and less strange.

'And I can think of some people for whom that description would fit perfectly. One of them lives in the White House.'

Sir Malcolm added: 'Mr Trump's tweets have been going on now for two years. Most of America ignores most of them. There's no reason why we shouldn't as well.'

Lord Heseltine, the former Tory deputy prime minister, told MailOnline: 'This is characteristic of what he does. It is particularly regrettable when it applies to something to do with this country.

'He sounds off in a way that is totally beneath the dignity of the office.'

Lord Heseltine also said the comments showed pro-Brexit MPs were 'living in a fool's paradise' if they believed the UK could strike a fair future trade deal with Mr Trump.

Meanwhile, Tory former foreign secretary Lord Hague told the BBC: 'You can't change an ambassador at the demand of a host country.

'It is their job to give an honest assessment of what is happening in that country.'

Liam Fox is due to meet Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter, in Washington later

President Trump said Tuesday that his administration 'will no longer deal with' the UK's ambassador, who trashed him in secret memos leaked to The Mail on Sunday

Trump is seen left with the emir of Qatar. The emir is in Washington to discuss regional issues including counterterrorism and relations with Gulf states

Trump gave Sir Kim Darroch the back of his hand in a pair of tweets that also lashed out at outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May

One of Sir Kim's predecessors today labelled the US President 'insecure' over his handling of the row.

Sir Christopher Meyer, who was in Washington from 1997 to 2003, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It just shows President Trump's sensitivity.

'His insecurity, which Sir Kim himself bore witness to.'

Referring to whoever leaked diplomatic cables from Sir Kim, Sir Christopher said: 'Here there is a possible range of villains who come into the frame.

'But, it was clearly somebody who set out, deliberately, to sabotage Sir Kim's ambassadorship, to make his position untenable, and to have him replaced by somebody more congenial to the leaker.'

However, one Tory Brexiteer told MailOnline on Monday that he agreed with the President and said Sir Kim would be 'following Mrs May out the door'.

Liam Fox to apologise to Ivanka Trump over leaked memos The International Trade Secretary said on Monday he would apologize to US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka for a leak of confidential memos in which the UK ambassador describes the U.S. administration as 'dysfunctional' and 'inept.' The memos from Sir Kim Darroch, the ambassador to Washington, were leaked to the Mail on Sunday and triggered demands on the British side to find out who had disclosed them. Liam Fox, who is on a visit to Washington, told BBC radio he would apologize to Ivanka at a planned meeting today. 'I will be apologizing for the fact that either our civil service or elements of our political class have not lived up to the expectations that either we have or the United States has about their behavior, which in this particular case has lapsed in a most extraordinary and unacceptable way,' he said. Advertisement

'Theresa May has made an absolute mess of Brexit. There is no two ways about that,' the MP said.

'But everybody knows as well that the ambassador will be following her out the door because people are already talking about who will replace him.

'He has got it spot on. It's a pity we didn't have him doing the negotiations for us with Brussels.'

British officials are investigating whether a hostile state such as Russia was behind the leak of the secret diplomatic memos in which Sir Kim said Mr Trump's administration was 'dysfunctional'.

The Cabinet Office is conducting a formal probe into the origins of the leak amid fears that the culprit could be someone intent on damaging Britain's relations with the US.

One Whitehall source told the Mail: 'Someone meticulously went through the cables and picked out the ones designed to cause maximum embarrassment and harm.'

A second Government source thought it looked like something 'out of Russia's playbook'.

The emergence of the Darroch memos triggered a furious response from Mr Trump and raised questions about the health of the Special Relationship between the US and the UK.

Off to work: Ivanka Trump was meeting Britain's trade minister Monday after the country's ambassador to Washington D.C. was revealed to have told senior members of the British government that her father's presidency was 'inept' and 'dysfunctional'

The International Trade Secretary said on Monday that he would apologize to Ivanka Trump for the leak.

Dr Fox, who is on a visit to Washington, is due to meet Ms Trump, who is also a senior adviser to her father, during his trip.

'I will be apologizing for the fact that either our civil service or elements of our political class have not lived up to the expectations that either we have or the United States has about their behavior, which in this particular case has lapsed in a most extraordinary and unacceptable way,' Dr Fox said.

'Malicious leaks of this nature ... can actually lead to a damage to that relationship, which can therefore affect our wider security interest.'

Mr Trump himself attacked Sir Kim earlier on Sunday, saying after the bombshell leak that the diplomat had 'not served the UK well.'

Met before: Liam Fox, the trade minister who is groveling to Ivanka Trump, escorted her at the Queen's white tie state banquet for her father's visit to London

Mr Trump unloaded on Sir Kim, saying: 'The ambassador has not served the UK well, I can tell you that.

'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.'

Mr Trump's aides said Sir Kim's position was no longer 'tenable' and they expected him to be removed.

Did Russia leak bombshell memos? Jeremy Hunt has confirmed the Government is probing whether Sir Kim Darroch's scathing memos about Donald Trump were deliberately leaked by a 'hostile state'. The UK ambassador to the US has been embroiled in a huge political row after leaked memos revealed him calling Trump 'inept and incompetent', with the Government probing how they came to be released to the media. But now the Foreign Office is considering whether Russia hacked Sir Kim to unveil messages that would 'cause maximum embarrassment and harm' to officials on both sides of the pond. They believe hackers could have launched a cyber attack to obtain files and damage UK-US relations. Advertisement

Sir Kim's assessments of the Trump administration in briefing notes from 2017 to the present are likely to prove highly embarrassing for the Foreign Office.

One suggests that in order to communicate with the president 'you need to make your points simple, even blunt'.

He also said: 'We don't really believe this administration is going to become substantially more normal; less dysfunctional; less unpredictable; less faction riven; less diplomatically clumsy and inept.'

Another note questioned whether the White House 'will ever look competent'.

Following Mr Trump's state visit to the UK in June, Sir Kim warned that although the US President had been 'dazzled' by the pomp, his administration would remain self-interested and 'this is still the land of America First'.

In one of the most recent documents, Sir Kim refers to 'incoherent, chaotic' US policy on Iran and questions Mr Trump's publicly stated reason for calling off a retaliatory air strike against Tehran following the downing of an American drone.

Media reports of 'vicious infighting and chaos' were 'mostly true' despite the president's attempts to brush them off, he said.

Referring to allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, the memo said 'the worst cannot be ruled out'.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who Mr Trump previously said would do 'a great job' as Britain's ambassador to the US, said Sir Kim was 'totally unsuitable for the job'.

He added the 'sooner he is gone the better'.

Allies of Mr Trump told the Daily Telegraph they believed Sir Kim could 'no longer work with the President'. One ex-adviser said: 'I assume he will be removed.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'The British public would expect our ambassadors to provide ministers with an honest, unvarnished assessment of the politics in their country.

'Our team in Washington have strong relations with the White House. No doubt these will withstand such mischievous behaviour.'

