UK Balks at EU Demand of Full Diplomatic Status for Ambassador

Flags of the Union Jack and European Union are seen ahead of a meeting of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in Brussels, on Dec. 9, 2020. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via Reuters

LONDON—The United Kingdom is resisting an EU demand that it grant full diplomatic status to the bloc’s ambassador in London, causing a spat between the recently divorced parties that spilled out into the open on Jan. 21.

Britain, an EU member for 46 years, voted to quit in 2016 and completed its tortuous journey out of the bloc on Dec. 31, when Brexit fully took effect.