Boris Johnson has dismissed claims he approved the controversial airlift of animals from Afghanistan as ‘total rhubarb’.
The PM has come under renewed pressure to explain his involvement in the case after foreign office emails appeared to show he intervened to help the Nowzad charity evacuate its cats and dogs from Kabul.
Thousands more people who had worked with the British during its near two-decade involvement in the country were trying to flee the Taliban regime at the same time.
The newly-surfaced email shared with a Commons inquiry on Wednesday showed an official saying in August 2021 that the Prime Minister had just ‘authorised’ the animals’ rescue.
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However Mr Johnson again dismissed the claims during a visit to Hanson Aggregates in Conwy, North Wales.
‘This whole thing is total rhubarb,’ he told broadcasters, saying he was ‘proud’ of the military airlifts.
After the email emerged, Mr Johnson was accused of lying about his involvement because he’d said repeatedly it was ‘complete nonsense’ that he had authorised the airlift.
And Downing Street has suggested the official had been acting in an unauthorised capacity.
‘It’s not uncommon in Whitehall for a decision to be interpreted or portrayed as coming directly from the Prime Minister even when that’s not the case and it’s our understanding that’s what happened in this instance’, Mr Johnson’s spokesman said.
‘We appreciate it was a frenetic time for those officials dealing with this situation.’
The high profile campaign to assist the animal charity became a huge talking point as Kabul fell to the Taliban last year.
Mr Farthing repeatedly appeared in the media to urge officials to help him get his staff and animals out, using a plane funded through donations.
The Government sponsored clearance for the charter flight, leading to allegations that animals had been prioritised over people in the exit effort.
Dominic Dyer, an ally of Mr Farthing, previously said he spoke with ministers and Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie to ‘put pressure on him’ over the evacuation.
Whistleblower Raphael Marshall, who worked for the Foreign Office at the time and gave the latest emails to the inquiry, alleges the animals were evacuated following an order from Mr Johnson.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who was responsible for the operation, has said the emails ‘don’t show the reality’ which was that he was in charge and Mr Johnson never intervened.
There have been calls for the issue to be debated in parliament but house leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was ‘fussing about a few animals’.
Meanwhile, Sky News has obtained emails appearing to show that the prime minister’s then top parliamentary aide told Virgin Atlantic the animal rescue mission was backed by the government and permissions would be ‘fast tracked’.
Trudy Harrison, an MP, was trying to secure a plane to make the trip and also apparently emailed another jet company telling them that her ‘boss was keen’ to arrange the flight.
Downing Street said Ms Harrison was acting ‘as a constituency MP at all times’ when making representations on behalf of the Nowzad charity.
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