http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342524/Wobbly-ambassador-sues-Foreign-Office-sending-course-judged-depth.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1274640.ece
'Wobbly' ambassador who is SUING the Foreign Office after she was branded 'inept, weak, rude and incompetent' on training course
Amanda Tanfield claims she was described as 'a bit passive-aggressive' in feedback from the course
The diplomat, 51, based in Eritrea, is claiming up to £50,000 compensation
She is seen casually flicking a double V-sign in one Facebook picture
College which ran the course say her claim is 'without foundation'
By ROB COOPER
PUBLISHED: 11:21 GMT, 16 June 2013 | UPDATED: 11:45 GMT, 16 June 2013
A British ambassador is suing the Foreign Office for sending her on a training course in which she was judged to be 'out of her depth' and 'wobbly', it emerged today.
Amanda Tanfield, 51, went on the three-day course to brush up on her skills before being sent to a new posting in Eritrea.
She claims the organisers passed unfavourable comments about her diplomacy skills back to her employers - despite apparently insisting that everything she said would be kept confidential.
In their feedback, the college allegedly described Tanfield as having 'serious character flaws' and in effect were saying she was 'unhelpful, antisocial, unstable, inept, weak, rude and incompetent', the Sunday Times reported.
She was also reportedly described as 'a bit passive-aggressive'.
The ambassador, who is currently based in Asmara, Eritrea, is suing the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the company that ran the training course for up to £50,000.
On her Facebook page, Tanfield is seen in one photo casually flicking a double V-sign as she lays back in an armchair.
The diplomat has worked in the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office since 1988 worked in her department's Libya crisis unit following the fall of Colonel Gaddafi.
She has also written a report on human rights abuses in Iraq ahead of the invasion in 2003 which formed part of the Labour government's dossier of evidence making the case for war.
Tanfield was sent on the Ashridge Trust course at the stately home they run near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, in April last year ahead of her posting which began in May.
She alleges that the 16 people on the course were told they could speak candidly and were told 'what was said here stays here'.
The writ said: 'A cast-iron guarantee was being given to all participants that their confidentiality and privacy as to their conduct, performance, contributions and participation... would be paramount and respected.'
However, she claims that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office human resources staff were given feedback over the phone.
Details of that conversation were recorded by Tanfield's manager Nick Pyle in a memo.
His record said that the diplomat was described as 'wobbly'. It was further claimed she did not participate fully and 'when she did participate in the course it was to make an ill-judged comment that got incredulous looks from co-attendees'.
The diplomat currently lives in Asmara with her husband Matthew Connolly.
In the writ, Tanfield alleges libel and slander and alleges that she 'does not recognise' the feedback.Â
The college are disputing her claim which they say is 'without foundation'.
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said they could not comment on an on-going case.
Despite efforts to contact Tanfield at the British Embassy in Asmara, she was not available for comment.
Received on Sun Jun 16 2013 - 12:39:10 EDT