Wed 08 December 2021:
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has become involved in yet another controversy. This time, a leaked letter suggests that the UK’s foreign office and Johnson may have swept the PM’s role in airlifting over 150 animals and dogs from Afghanistan under the rug.
According to Labour MP Chris Bryant, there was an attempt to “cover up” the PM’s personal intervention.
In the letter, which was tweeted by LBC’s Theo Usherwood on Tuesday, it was said that charity worker Pen Farthing, his staff and the animals could be airlifted from Kabul in August during the evacuations.
Trudy Harrison, MP for Copeland and parliamentary private secretary to the prime minister, signed the letter delivered to Farthing.
The letter said, “I have received confirmation … that you, your staff and their dependents are permitted to travel.” All 68 people can be given space on a RAF plane, while the animals could be “evacuated on a separate, chartered flight”.
At lunchtime Number 10 said a whistleblower’s claim the PM and his wife were involved in the evacuation of Nowzad staff was “untrue”.
Just been passed a letter from the PM’s PPS Trudy Harrison to Pen Farthing to confirm Nowzad staff could travel to the airport to be evacuated. pic.twitter.com/zYLLU0L4aG
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) December 7, 2021
Johnson’s spokesperson denied any action by the PM, despite claims made by a whistleblower about a chaotic evacuation due to the sad state of affairs at the UK Foreign Office.
During the evacuation, it was also claimed that pets were given priority over people.
Johnson’s spokesperson said, “At no point, did the prime minister intervene. We have always prioritised people over animals, as we said both during and subsequently.”
Responding to the letter, No 10 said, “This was an operational decision … This letter was nothing to do with Harrison’s role as the PM’s PPS, she was acting in her capacity as a constituency MP.”
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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