Editor's note: Chris Deacon is a postgraduate researcher in politics and international relations at the University of London and previously worked as an international commercial lawyer. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Following the leak this past weekend of comments made by the United Kingdom's ambassador to the United States, Sir Kim Darroch, Prime Minister Theresa May has stated she has "full faith" in the ambassador and an inquiry has been launched to find the culprit.

The seriousness with which the UK government is taking this issue is entirely appropriate as diplomats must feel they are able to provide honest and frank assessment in confidence, without fear that these might be leaked to the press.

The emails leaked date from 2017 to the present day and set out views regarding the current White House administration under Donald Trump as "incoherent" and "chaotic".

They also point to rumors of infighting within the White House, questioning whether it will ever be possible for Trump's administration to "look competent."

Clearly, these revelations are immensely damaging. Even in normal times, exposing such opinions would cause immense embarrassment, which results in particular problems when one considers the role that an ambassador has to play in cultivating close relations with the government of a foreign country.

But under Donald Trump, in particular, it was apparent to whoever leaked the emails that the exposé would be especially damaging. Trump, as is well known, does not take insults regarding himself or his administration lightly. Indeed, he was quick to criticize Sir Kim, stating that "we're not big fans of that man" and that he had "not served the UK well."

This puts the UK government and Sir Kim in a very difficult position. His relationship with the White House has likely become toxic overnight – making his job extremely difficult – but, at the same time, he has done nothing wrong.

Indeed, on the contrary, he has done exactly what the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) would expect of him: to provide his assessment of the facts without fear or favor.

Here lies the true damage of this scandal. The damage caused to the so-called "special relationship" between the U.S. and the UK will likely blow over before long – especially when once Donald Trump is no longer in office, given that most other U.S. politicians probably in their heart of hearts believe exactly what Sir Kim wrote in these emails. But the damage to the proper functioning of diplomats could be far worse.

If diplomats overseas feel they are not able to communicate honestly with their home department, they simply cannot serve their proper purpose. Governments have diplomats on the ground partly in order to provide such frank assessments so as to inform policy-making. If the diplomats self-censor their communications, this will not allow their government to properly understand the situation.

The UK government clearly feels the same way. The FCO has already launched an investigation to try to identify the source of the leak to the UK's Mail on Sunday newspaper. The Member of Parliament who is chairman of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, Tom Tugendhat, has also written to the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, to insist that a criminal investigation is conducted.

FCO minister Sir Alan Duncan agreed in Parliament on Monday that, should there be any evidence of criminality found in his department's investigation, then the police could well be involved.

The UK government is, therefore, taking this leak extremely seriously. It is, of course, the second high-profile, foreign affairs-related government leak in recent times, with the Huawei-related leak emerging out of the National Security Council earlier this year, for which Defence Minister Gavin Williamson was ostensibly blamed and sacked by Theresa May.

Many are already suggesting that a minister could also be guilty of this particular leak, given the likely small circle of individuals who would have been privy to the emails, and the lack of an apparent motive for a civil servant to betray confidence in this way. Given the severity of the consequences, the government will almost certainly leave no stone unturned as it searches for the culprit.

And right that it should. The word "betrayal" is bandied about far too frequently in the current political climate, but this leak has caused significant and deliberate harm to the UK's interests and the conduct of its diplomacy not just now, but in the future. If the culprit is found, it is only right that they should face the full force of the law.

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