UK politics live: Former veterans minister hits out at ‘ineptitude’ over Afghan resettlement scheme – UK Times

Former Conservative defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace has hit back at his former ministerial colleague Johnny Mercer.

As noted in the previous post (10.59am), Mr Mercer criticised the “hapless display of incompetence” by the government over the Afghan resettlement scheme.

When asked about the comments on LBC, Sir Ben said: “No, I don’t agree with it. I think my record would show the opposite. It was me and Priti Patel, before the collapse of Kabul, who decided we were going to accelerate bringing people back who were under threat …

“People hadn’t come out before. And we made sure that we did this. I think what Johnny fails to grasp is quite the massive scale of collapse that happened very quickly in Afghanistan, leaving people at risk, and we had to do our very best.”

Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer has criticised the “hapless display of incompetence” by the British government over the Afghan resettlement scheme.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Mercer revealed how officials leaked sensitive data about Afghan allies online, describing it as “mind-boggling” but unsurprising given years of systemic failure.

Mr Mercer, who led an Afghan task force under then-prime minister Rishi Sunak, blamed successive ministers and civil servants for blocking former Afghan special forces from coming to the UK – even after many had risked their lives alongside British troops.

He said he was left “furious, sad and bitter” at a process that allowed thousands with “tenuous links” to the UK while leaving commandos like his former colleague Naveed trapped under Taliban threat.

The former minister accused the Ministry of Defence of rejecting applications without explanation and described the entire system as chaotic, adding: “Short of hiring a Land Rover and going for it, I’m running out of ideas.”

“I feel furious, sad and bitter about the whole thing,” he wrote, adding that “we’ve let into this country thousands with little or tenuous links to the UK, and still some Afghan special forces… remain trapped in Afghanistan, Pakistan or worse, Iran.”

Our Social Affairs Correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:

Sir Keir Starmer has put a “lot of effort” in to “cultivate” a relationship with US President Donald Trump, a Cabinet ally of the Prime Minister has said.

With Mr Trump having said he will meet Sir Keir in Aberdeen later this month during a private visit to Scotland, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said holding talks with the president is the “right thing to do”.

He said US tariffs and the situation in Ukraine could be on the agenda for those discussions.

Scottish First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president – who recently voiced his support for the oil and gas sector over wind power projects.

Mr Murray said: “At this stage we have no sight of what the president’s programme is, but we do know the First Minister and the Prime Minister will meet him, and it is right for them both to do so.”

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, the Scottish Secretary added the meetings are “the right thing to do because those relationships are incredibly important in terms of our own national interest”.

He added: “We should make sure we are working very closely with our allies for the benefit of Scotland and the whole of the United Kingdom.”

Our World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley writes:

Students of imperial history will recall the hundreds of treaties signed with local chiefs, kings and leaders that were waved aside in the interests of the empire.

The French call their deep distrust of Les Anglo-Saxons “Fashoda syndrome” – named after a sordid episode of British duplicity that delivered an obscure bit of southern Sudan to the UK in the 19th century, and triggered the enduring distrust of our closest neighbour up to this day.

Now we have the Kabul cock-up. It will inevitably serve to undermine Britain’s woeful and feeble international reputation – and drive some of those who have been betrayed into the arms of our enemies.

Read the full article below:

Sir Ben Wallace, who was defence secretary when the data breach happened, has said he takes complete responsibility for the leak.

Asked why the official responsible for the leak is still employed by the government, Sir Ben said: “I take complete responsibility for the mistake that was made by that person… I was secretary of state for defence”.

John Healey has said there will be a lower cost to taxpayers and greater transparency about who is coming to the UK after the lifting of the superinjunction.

Asked whether he had misled parliament in the past, the defence secretary told Times Radio: “I’m comfortable that I’ve not misled people. But you know, parliamentary accountability started yesterday with my statement and the House of Commons and their committees will have the chance to examine former ministers and the decisions they took.

“They’ll have a chance to examine me and the decisions that I took. And the important thing about the decision I took and announced to Parliament yesterday is that there will be fewer Afghans coming into this country as a result. There’ll be a lower cost to British taxpayers and there is greater transparency now.”

Liz Truss has said she is shocked by the government’s superinjunction to hide a secret relocation programme for Afghans put at risk by an MoD data breach.

The former prime minister, who was also foreign secretary when the data breach occurred, said: “I am shocked by the secrecy and cover-up over the admission of thousands of Afghans to Britain at the cost of £7bn to the taxpayer. A decision that was in itself wrong.“It is a huge betrayal of public trust.

“Those responsible in both Governments and the bureaucracy need to be held to account.”