Republican donor named as new US ambassador

President Bush has nominated Robert Tuttle, a Republican campaign donor and leading California car dealer, to be the next US ambassador to the Court of St James.

The appointment, assuming it is confirmed by the Senate, will bring to an end an embarrassing year-long hiatus at the embassy in Grosvenor Square, since the previous envoy William Farish - all but invisible during his spell in the job - stepped down in July 2004.

Mr Tuttle, who spent six years as an aide and personnel director to former president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, is a life-long Republican activist on the West Coast and one of the well-heeled group of "Pioneers" - individuals who contributed at least $100,000 (£55,000) to Mr Bush's re-election campaign last year.

For good measure he also donated $100,000 to help finance the President's second inaugural festivities here last January.

He is the managing partner of Tuttle-Click Automotive Group, one of the largest car dealerships in California. His father, Holmes Tuttle, earned a niche in history as the Ford dealer who, in 1946, sold a car to Mr Reagan when he was an unemployed actor.

Like Mr Farish, and a host of US ambassadors besides, Mr Tuttle has won his job thanks to his munificent support to the Bush political machine. But he is said to be a gregarious individual, who is almost bound to have a higher profile in London than his predecessor.

Unlike Mr Farish, he has experience in government - although the closeness of the relationship between Mr Bush and Tony Blair means that his policy role will be limited.

Mr Tuttle emerged as the favourite for the post earlier this year. Other possible candidates had included Paul Bremer, the former US envoy to Iraq, and Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State.

The formal announcement of the posting means that the British government has already indicated its consent to the appointment. Despite the strongly partisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill, Mr Tuttle's confirmation by the Senate is unlikely to cause any problems.