{"text":[[{"start":6.5,"text":"James Roscoe, the UK’s deputy ambassador to the US, has left with immediate effect, threatening fresh turmoil for Britain’s most important embassy."}],[{"start":15.85,"text":"The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said that Roscoe, a career diplomat, had left, without giving further details. An FCDO spokesperson said: “James Roscoe has left his post.” "}],[{"start":28.75,"text":"Roscoe was appointed acting ambassador last September after prime minister Sir Keir Starmer sacked Lord Peter Mandelson over the scale of his ties to the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein."}],[{"start":41.1,"text":"Roscoe returned to his post as deputy following the appointment in December of Sir Christian Turner as Mandelson’s permanent successor."}],[{"start":49.8,"text":"Turner drew scrutiny last month after he said that America’s only “special relationship” is “probably Israel”, not the UK, in leaked remarks that threatened to overshadow the state visit of King Charles."}],[{"start":63,"text":"Roscoe’s abrupt removal from his post will be another blow to morale at Britain’s embassy in Washington after recent turmoil and will generate a wave of speculation about why he has left now."}],[{"start":74.9,"text":"He has been closely involved in talks between Britain and the US over Iran and Ukraine as well as on efforts to finalise details of a trade deal between the two sides."}],[{"start":84.60000000000001,"text":"Roscoe is a longstanding diplomat and was previously Britain’s ambassador to the UN General Assembly from 2019. "}],[{"start":91.85000000000001,"text":"Prior to that, from 2016 to 2019 he held the roles of director for communication at the Cabinet Office and subsequently the Department for Exiting the European Union."}],[{"start":103.05000000000001,"text":"Roscoe was seen as deeply embedded in the British establishment. He was communications secretary to the Queen in the Royal Household from 2013 to 2016 and was chief press officer in Downing Street under Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown."}],[{"start":125.50000000000001,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779266109_5585.mp3"}