Boris Johnson has rejected claims he intervened in the controversial 'pets before people' airlift of animals out of Kabul as "total rhubarb".
Bombshell emails from a whistleblower say the Prime Minister had personally "authorised" the evacuation effort to get Pen Farthing, pets and Nowzat charity workers out of Afghanistan, while thousands of Afghans were desperate to flee the Taliban.
Speaking in Wales on Thursday, the Prime Minister denied the story, saying: "No, this whole thing is total rhubarb."
"I was very proud of what our armed services did with Operation Pitting and it was an amazing thing to move 15,000 people out of Kabul in the way that we did."
When pressed over whether he personally intervened in the pets' evacuation, he said "absolutely not", adding "the military always prioritised human beings and that was quite right".
The email, released to a Commons committee, was from an official in Lord Goldsmith's office to the special cases team on August 25 2021.
It said another charity was seeking help to get their staff out.
It stated: "Equivalent charity Nowzad, run by an ex-Royal Marine, has received a lot of publicity and the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated, [animal charity – name redacted] are hoping to be treated in the same capacity."
Another email sent between Foreign Office officials that day, said: “In light of the PM’s decision earlier today to evacuate the staff of the Nowzad animal charity, the [animal charity – name redacted] is asking for agreement to the entry of [details redacted] staff, all Afghan nationals."
Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg, meanwhile, accused Labour of “fussing about a few animals” as the Prime Minister was repeatedly accused of lying about his role in the rescue effort. Labour MP Chris Bryant had urged the Government to agree to a debate on the issue.
“This was an incredibly successful and pressurised operation and our armed forces once again showed what amazing things they can do when called upon to do it," said Mr Rees-Mogg.
“And the honourable gentleman is fussing about a few animals. I think it shows the level of seriousness which he characteristically brings to today’s debate.”
Shadow Levelling Up Secretary Lisa Nandy had said earlier: “Somebody is lying about what happened during the events that led up the evacuation of the animals from Afghanistan and I think it has become increasingly clear that the Prime Minister story’s not credible. He has not told the truth.
“The emails that were released by the Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday show very clearly that officials were instructed on the Prime Minster’s authority to take action to commission a plane.
“And this is really important because, while the Afghanistan crisis unfolded, the Prime Minister was on a beach, the Foreign Secretary was on a beach, and thousands of people who assisted us through two decades in Afghanistan have been left behind.
“And yet the Prime Minister has lied about what he did and the actions that he took during that time.”
Speaking in Grimsby, Ms Nandy said: “I think it’s becoming increasingly clear that you cannot believe a word that our Prime Minister says.”
And in the Lords, peers called on Lord Goldsmith to come to the chamber to explain his role.
Lord Goldsmith wrote on Twitter that he “did not authorise and do not support anything that would have put animals’ lives ahead of people’s”, adding: “I never discussed the Nowzad charity or their efforts to evacuate animals with the PM.”
Labour former defence secretary Lord Browne of Ladyton said: “Once again we’re being treated to ministers in studios and in the House not facing up to the fact that the evidence is out there. These emails are there for people to see.”
Baroness Smith of Basildon, Labour leader in the Lords, added: “If Lord Goldsmith has made a statement to this House that appears at the face of it to be at odds with the statement in an email from his private office that is now public, can he not come to the Lords to explain? I think that’s a very straightforward request.”
Cabinet Office minister Lord True replied: “It’s for ministers to decide how to justify their actions and conduct, but I repeat that the assertions that have been made have been repudiated by Lord Goldsmith, by No 10 Downing Street and by the Defence Secretary.”
Downing Street said Lord Zac Goldsmith’s office was not involved in the Afghan evacuation procedure.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I’ve said that that office was not involved in the evacuation process.”
When asked why, therefore, Lord Goldsmith’s officials were sending emails about the charity Nowzad, the spokesman said: “I’d have to refer you to his office on specific emails but the Defence Secretary’s being clear about how Operation Pitting was run, was led, which got 15,000 people out of Kabul.”
He added: “During that operation staff from across FCDO were pulled together to work on this emergency response, on Operation Pitting.”
He said: “It was a fluid process, which involves everybody working together.”
