Boris Johnson did personally intervened to help evacuate rescue animals from Kabul while leaving behind Afghans who feared for their lives under the Taliban, bombshell official emails have revealed.
The Prime Minister insisted last year that it was “complete nonsense” that the Government prioritised saving animals over people during the emergency airlift from Kabul in August.
But Foreign Office emails form the time tell a different story and suggest that the Prime Minister did personally authorise the controversial rescue of cats and dogs from a British animal charity in Afghanistan.
More than 200 animals from former ex-Royal Marine Pen Farthing’s Nowzad charity were flown out of Kabul while thousands of Afghans who had worked with western forces were awaiting evacuation.
Farthing was able to get his staff and animals out of the country using a plane funded by donations after a high profile campaign.
The UK Government sponsored clearance for the charter flight, leading to allegations that animals had been prioritised over people in the rescue effort.
The e-mails revealed by the Foreign Affairs committee on Wednesday show unnamed Foreign Office official contacted the special cases team on August 25 2021 stating another charity was seeking help to get their staff out as the PM had backed the animal airlift.
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.”
A second email, sent between Foreign Office officials the same day, repeats the point. “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.”
It has previously been claimed the PM’s wife Carrie, who is a prominent animal campaigner, also intervened to ensure the animals were rescued.
Johnson, when asked by reporters on December 7 if he had intervened in the evacuation last summer, called the suggestion “complete nonsense”.
Labour has accused the Prime Minister of “lying” over the incident, and reiterated its call for him to resign, with his Government also dogged by the partygate controversy.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey said: “Once again, the Prime Minister has been caught out lying about what he has been doing and deciding.
Healey said: “He should never have given priority to flying animals out of Afghanistan while Afghans who worked for our armed forces were left behind.
“In this case people were fleeing in terror as the Taliban took over Kabul and British Forces were putting their lives at risk, the Prime Minister was once again prioritising the wrong things and making the wrong calls.”
