Biden’s new UK ambassador accused of being an ‘amateur diplomat’
President Joe Biden has been accused of appointing an “amateur” as his ambassador to the UK by a former diplomat.
Former ambassador to France and Monaco under the Obama administration, Jane Hartley was last night announced as London’s new ambassador, who will take up a Georgian-style mansion in Regent’s Park during the role.
Hartley, 71, is a former television executive and wealthy Democratic donor.
She is also the woman behind the controversial ‘Bouquet of Tulips’ memorial following the 2015 massacre at the Charlie Hebdo office, which received a number of objections from the French art space for being ‘inappropriate’.
Her appointment follows former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg reportedly turning down the role.
Former US diplomat Brett Bruen has said that the US “absolutely needs someone more seasoned”, as the UK and the US navigate a post-Brexit relationship.
“This is an essential relationship for restoring America’s credibility and influence across the globe. We need someone with exceptional skills and decades of experience,” Bruen, who served as White House director of global engagement under Obama, told The Telegraph.
“Because if we get this wrong, if we make one mistake in London, it will reverberate around the world.”
Bruen added that the Trump administration permanently changed how diplomats are perceived around the world.
“We need to understand how much has changed since Trump,” he said. “These aren’t the good ole’ days when Hartley and I served under president Obama. Our position in the world has weakened significantly and we no longer have the luxury of sending amateur diplomats abroad.”