Rethink urged on UK's refusal to accord full diplomatic status to EU's ambassador in London

Leading academics argue that Britain's rift with Europe is emboldening enemies and worrying its main ally, the US

EU envoy to the UK Joao Vale de Almeida, right, at St Pancras International railway station in London with Michel Barnier, who led the EU team in Brexit negotiations. Getty Images

Britain needs to give the EU's ambassador in London full diplomatic status to heal its rift with the continent, leading academics say.

In one radical proposal, it has been suggested that all 27 EU states should be represented by a single European ambassador, with the individual country embassies withdrawn.

The relationship between Britain and Europe has been at a low ebb since the Brexit deal was finally struck last December.

There has been further acrimony with London refusing full ambassadorial status for Brussels’ representative, arguing that the EU is an organisation rather than a country.

But leading academics are urging a government rethink, arguing that the rift is emboldening Europe’s enemies, Russia in particular, and is a concern for its main ally, the US.

"We should just recognise the EU ambassador and get past that issue," Dr Robert Saunders from Queen Mary University of London told a webinar held by Chatham House think tank on Tuesday.

“We have a relationship with the EU, so it doesn't seem unreasonable that we should have diplomatic representation.

"We just need to park this issue as quickly as we can if we're going to move into a more constructive relationship.”

However, Prof Brendan Simms from the University of Cambridge came up with a proposal for the UK and EU to each have a sole representative.

"Personally, I would actually turn it around, I would say: 'You, the European Union, have got to explain to us what the function of the ambassador is.'

"If he is to have any meaningful function then we should only have an EU ambassador and no national [European] representatives.

"And the UK would only be represented in Brussels, and not in the member states,” Mr Simms said.

He later added: "On every issue that really mattered to the UK over the last few years, like Northern Ireland, trade policy and so on, it has been dealing with the European Union and that is the body with which the United Kingdom should be dealing."

Full diplomatic status grants ambassadors exemption from taxation and immunity from prosecution, among other rights,.

Despite the academics' remarks, the British government is still refusing to grant full diplomatic status to Joao Vale de Almeida, the EU's envoy to the UK.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We continue to engage with the EU on the long-term arrangements for the EU delegation to the UK.

"The EU, its delegation and staff will continue to receive the privileges and immunities necessary to enable them to carry out their work in the UK effectively."