Theresa May honours: UK ambassador who called Trump ‘inept and uniquely dysfunctional’ is made a Lord

Kim Darroch handed life peerage after diplomatic scandal

Theresa May has made Kim Darroch a member of the House of Lords, just two months after the former ambassador resigned after criticising Donald Trump in leaked memos.

The career diplomat was forced to step down in July, after confidential emails in which he described the president as “uniquely dysfunctional”, “incompetent” and “insecure” were published in The Mail on Sunday.

In one scathing missive he wrote: “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.”

Mr Darroch’s comments infuriated Donald Trump, who lashed out at the diplomat on Twitter over the course of two days.

The 73-year-old said the envoy was “wacky” and “very stupid”, while branding Theresa May, who was prime minister at the time, “foolish”.

Boris Johnson, who was then campaigning for the Conservative leadership, notably refused to speak out in support of the envoy.

Mr Darroch resigned shortly afterwards, saying his job had become “impossible” after the leak.

Ms May said his stepping down was a “matter of great regret”.

She made Mr Darroch a life peer alongside a number of former aides in her resignation honours list.

The former envoy will now sit in the House of Lords.

The Queen grants resignation honours at the request of an outgoing prime minister.

Ms May previously criticised David Cameron for his decision to recommend Craig Oliver, his communications director, for a knighthood.

But the Maidenhead MP has now handed honours to her former aides Gavin Barwell, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy

She also recommended Geoffrey Boycott, one of England's most successful opening batsmen, for a knighthood.

Additional reporting by agencies