James Roscoe, the United Kingdom's deputy ambassador to the United States, has left his role.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has given no explanation for his departure. A spokesperson for the FCDO said Roscoe “has left his post” and declined to comment further on an individual staffing matter.
Roscoe had been deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Washington since July 2022. He also stepped in as chargé d’affaires to the US from September 2025 to February 2026 following the dismissal of then-ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson in September last year.
The appointment of Mandelson in December 2024 is the subject of ongoing scrutiny after MPs voted in February to force the government to publish all papers relating to the appointment through a humble address. In April, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, sacked FCDO permanent secretary Sir Olly Robbins over the department's handling of the appointment.
Roscoe was the number two to Christian Turner, who was appointed to replace Mandelson as ambassador to the US in December.
Before moving to Washington DC, Roscoe was the UK’s ambassador to the UN General Assembly from 2019 to 2022.
Prior to becoming a diplomat, Roscoe worked in comms roles in the civil service, including director for communication at the Cabinet Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union.
Earlier in his career, Roscoe was chief press officer in the Prime Minister’s Office for then-PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown from 2006 to 2009.