Boris Johnson has FINALLY admitted he should have stood up more for Britain's Ambassador to the US - after being heckled by a furious Tory member.
The unknown member shouted “answer the bloody question!” at a hustings tonight as Mr Johnson dodged saying if he regretted not guaranteeing Sir Kim Darroch’s job.
The Tory leadership favourite replied: “Well, I don’t think that anything I said was actually decisive in Kim’s decision to resign.
“Had I my time again, to answer your question directly, yes - I probably should have been more emphatic that Kim personally had my full support.
“But I was surprised that his tenure as Ambassador in Washington should be raised by the Foreign Secretary as a fitting subject for debate in a Conservative Party leadership campaign.”
His admission tonight came as branding the White House "inept" that led to Sir Kim standing down.
Scotland Yard also suggested the Mail on Sunday could be criminally liable for publishing the leaked information.
Earlier Mr Johnson - after days of dodging any responsibility.
But he claimed that was because his words had been "misrepresented" to the top diplomat.
Quizzed by the BBC's Andrew Neil, Mr Johnson said: “[Sir Kim] said that what somebody had relayed to him had certainly played, had been a factor in his resignation… I think that unfortunately what I said on that TV debate was misrepresented to Kim."
Sir Kim quit hours after Mr Johnson, who is expected to become Prime Minister in 12 days, refused to promise he could keep his job in an ITV debate.
Ministers accused Mr Johnson of throwing Sir Kim "under the bus”.
Meanwhile rival Jeremy Hunt - who condemned Donald Trump for disowning the diplomat - refused to rule out making Boris Johnson his Ambassador if he defies the odds to reach No10.
He told the hustings tonight in Cheltenham: "I want Boris to have a major role in my government because… we’ve got to come together after this leadership contest.
"Whether it’s that role or another role, we’ll see, that would be something to talk to Boris about.”
It came as Trump suggested that he was too quick to denounce Sir Kim following the leak of his diplomatic dispatches.
In a trademark Twitter outburst, the president described Sir Kim as a "pompous fool" and a "very stupid guy", leaving the ambassador to conclude that his position in Washington had become "impossible".
However, speaking to reporters at the White House today, Trump said he had since been told Sir Kim had said "some very good things" about him.
"I wish the British ambassador well. Some people just told me - too bad - they said he actually said some very good things about me," he said.
"I guess I quoted (Republican Senator) Lindsey Graham today. He said some things that were pretty nice from the British ambassador.
"I wish the British ambassador well but they have got to stop their leaking problems there just like they have to stop them in our country."
Mr Graham, an ally of Mr Trump, said he believed Sir Kim had had a "raw deal" from the press, with "selective" coverage of his cables.
"Kim Darroch did an outstanding job as ambassador and sorry to see he has resigned his post," he tweeted on Wednesday.
"Ambassador Darroch always understood the strength of President Trump and referred to him as the 'Terminator' who is indestructible and will most likely be re-elected."
