A high-flying British diplomat in Washington has abruptly left his post amid claims he was being investigated for leaking sensitive information about the Peter Mandelson scandal.
No explanation has yet officially been given for the departure of James Roscoe, who stood in as interim ambassador after Lord Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador over his links to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
As the former press secretary to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Mr Roscoe had served as deputy head of mission at the British Embassy since 2022.
He had previously had a distinguished career including as the UK ambassador to the UN General Assembly from 2019. Prior to this, from 2016 to 2019, he held the roles of director for communications at the Cabinet Office and subsequently the Department for Exiting the European Union.
Sources in Washington DC have claimed that his departure is linked to allegations that he leaked a National Security briefing to The Spectator journalist Tim Shipman, as well as information about Lord Mandelson failing his security vetting.
The revelations that the security services had recommended that Lord Mandelson should be denied clearance for the US ambassador role, but was given the job anyway brought Sir Keir Starmer to the brink of being ousted as prime minister. The scandal prompted a series of questions over the appointment of the Labour grandee in the first place given his close links to the Epstein, China and Russia.
Already, Sir Olly Robbins has been sacked as permanent secretary to the Foreign Office (FCDO) because Sir Keir claimed he hid the security vetting failure from him.
Now sources in Washington believe that the leaks allegedly made by Mr Roscoe, which embarrassed the prime minister further, were at the heart of his departure.
One source told The Independent: “This is another example of a high flying glittering career coming tom an end to save the prime minister’s blushes. The leaks embarrassed [Keir] Starmer.”
While it is not confirmed whether Mr Roscoe quit or was sacked it is a sudden departure for a man who was reportedly among those tipped for the top diplomatic role after the removal of Lord Mandelson, though the plum posting ultimately went to Sir Christian Turner.
As charge d’affaires to the US, Mr Roscoe played a key role in Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK last September.
More recently, as second in command at the embassy, he was involved in the King’s recent US state visit to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
While Mr Roscoe typically avoided the spotlight, his wife, Clemency Burton-Hill, has had her fair share of media coverage.
The former actor, classical violinist and political commentator is also a successful arts journalist and broadcaster – with the duo being dubbed one of London’s new power couples in 2014 by the Evening Standard.
Ms Burton-Hill, 43, was born in London. As well as having performed internationally as a violinist, she has also written five books and worked as an arts journalist – regularly featuring on the BBC as a classic music presenter.
After suffering a brain haemorrhage in January 2020, which left her in a coma, Ms Burton-Hill worked on a new BBC Arena film, My Brain: After the Rupture, about the experience and her recovery.
Mr Roscoe though was no stranger to the perils of UK politics having previously been chief press officer in Downing Street for prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
His earlier diplomatic postings included the UN, Sierra Leone and Iraq.
In a brief statement, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “James Roscoe has left his post.”
The Independent has approached the FCDO about the claims that Mr Roscoe was sacked over leaking sensitive information.
