FDA response to Sir Kim Darroch's resignation

12 Jul 2019 10:54 AM

Responding to new of British Ambassador to the United States Sir Kim Darroch’s resignation, FDA General Secretary Dave Penman said:

“Sir Kim Darroch has been placed in an impossible situation, firstly by the leaking of confidential communiques and then by the failure of Boris Johnson and his supporters to provide unequivocal support. As a loyal public servant, he has, as he always did, put his country first. Can we honestly say that about those who took to the airways and equivocated?

“Johnson and his allies have sent the clearest signal possible to Sir Kim, the diplomatic corps, the wider civil service and, unfortunately, to foreign governments: that civil servants’ professional, impartial advice is needed, but they are ultimately expendable if it proves politically expedient.

“We are witnessing a disturbing pattern emerge, where the brightest and best civil servants are being forced out of their jobs due to relentless attacks from politicians and some sections of the media — escalating to death threats and threats against their families in some instances.

“It is the job of ministers and indeed the Prime Minister to defend their civil servants from this kind of abuse. But time and time again, they are choosing to stay silent and as a result they have created an environment where the targeting of individuals or undermining of the service as a whole has become routine.”

Notes for editors 

1. The FDA is the union for senior managers and professionals in public service, representing more than 18,000 members at grades HEO and above. Membership includes senior civil servants, government policy advisors, prosecutors, diplomats, tax professionals, economists, solicitors and other professionals working across the Government and the NHS. 
2. The FDA (formerly the First Division Association) should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior public servants' union". 
3. The FDA can be found on Twitter @FDA_union and at www.fda.org.uk. General Secretary Dave Penman tweets as @FDAGenSec. 
4. For more information contact: 

FDA Communications Officer Tommy Newell on 020 7401 5588 or 07738 729 145 or email on tommy@fda.org.uk

FDA Communications Officer Laura Gilbert on 020 7401 5589 or email on laura.gilbert@fda.org.uk