US EditionUK ambassador said America’s only ‘special relationship’ is with Israel: Report
A leaked recording shows Sir Christian Turner questioning U.S.-U.K. ties and saying the Epstein scandal has hit Britain harder than America.
- On Tuesday, the Financial Times published leaked audio of UK Ambassador to the US Sir Christian Turner criticizing the 'special relationship' during King Charles III's state visit, immediately complicating the high-profile royal tour.
- During a February meeting with visiting British students, Turner dismissed the phrase 'special relationship' as 'quite nostalgic' and 'backwards-looking,' claiming the US's only true special relationship is 'probably Israel.'
- Turner also highlighted disparate accountability in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, calling it 'extraordinary' that the controversy 'hasn't touched anybody' in the US, contrasting this with figures like Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Ambassador Lord Peter Mandelson being 'brought down.'
- The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office quickly issued a statement, stressing that these were 'private, informal comments' and 'certainly not any reflection of the UK Government's position.'
- Turner further speculated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer could be removed by Labour MPs following the May elections, potentially reaching a threshold of 80 MPs to trigger resignation.
47 Articles
47 Articles
Israel, not U.K., has 'special relationship' with U.S., British ambassador says
The ambassador to the U.S. told high schoolers in February that U.K.-U.S. relations are still 'so strong,' but added that 'there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the U.S., and that is probably Israel.' The Foreign Office said the remarks do not reflect the U.K. government's position
UK ambassador plays down 'special relationship'
The British ambassador to Washington says the only country that has a "special relationship" with the United States is "probably Israel".The comments by Christian Turner, published in the Financial Times, threaten to overshadow King Charles' visit to the US this week.Turner, who was appointed to the prized diplomatic post in February to replace the Jeffrey Epstein-linked Peter Mandelson, made the remarks privately to a group of British students …
America’s only special relationship is ‘probably Israel,’ says British ambassador to US
Britain’s ambassador to Washington has said that the only country that has a “special relationship” with the United States is “probably Israel,” not Britain, in leaked comments which could overshadow King Charles III’s state visit underway in the US this week.
U.K. ambassador, in leaked remarks, said the "one country" with a "special relationship" with the U.S. is "probably Israel"
Britain's ambassador, in February remarks reported by the Financial Times, also called the lack of fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal in the U.S. "extraordinary."
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