Senior diplomat Alexandra Hall Hall quits over government's Brexit 'half-truths'

A senior British diplomat in Washington has quit her post, saying she is no longer prepared to "peddle half-truths" about Brexit on behalf of a Government she does not trust.

Alexandra Hall Hall, the lead envoy for Brexit at the British embassy, accused ministers of using "misleading or disingenuous" arguments about the implications of leaving the EU.

In her resignation letter, obtained by the US broadcaster CNN, Ms Hall Hall said her position had become "unbearable personally and untenable professionally".

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Ms Hall wrote: "I am also at a stage in life where I would prefer to do something more rewarding with my time, than peddle half-truths on behalf of a government I do not trust."

The timing of her departure, less than a week before the General Election, could hardly be more embarrassing for the Tories as they seek to hammer home their pledge to "get Brexit done".

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We won’t comment on the detail of an individual’s resignation."