Shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat told US President Donald Trump "don't be silly" over recent comments on the Falkland Islands and the question of Irish unity, saying in a BBC interview that the remarks were aimed at a domestic American audience.
Speaking to the broadcaster, the senior Conservative politician described the president's intervention on those sensitive matters as political signalling rather than substantive diplomacy. He said the comments appeared intended to appeal to US voters.
The Falkland Islands and the constitutional question of Irish unity are long-standing and sensitive issues in British foreign and domestic politics. Tugendhat's criticism reflects concern among some UK politicians about external commentary on matters seen as primarily for the UK and its people to decide.
As shadow foreign secretary and a leading figure in the Conservative Party, Tugendhat's reaction adds to a chorus of British responses to remarks from abroad. In the interview he urged that such statements be treated with caution given their apparent domestic political purpose.