Katy Balls
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Commenting on the story this morning, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace played down the impact such a call would have had:
‘I don’t know about his phone call sheet, but last Friday, no: phone calls to a rapidly deteriorating Afghan government would not have made a blind bit of difference’.
Yet as UK nationals and interpreters struggle to get to the airport now the Taliban have surrounded all entrances, it’s hard to argue that advance notice would have been a bad thing. Besides, if it was already too late to help doesn’t that weaken Raab’s argument that no-one could have predicted events turning out as they did?
On his media round this morning, Wallace also defended Raab following reports of friction between the pair over the response. Yet suggestions of frustration between the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office over both the evacuation plan and the contingency plans first drawn up refuses to go away. There is little expectation in government that Raab will be sacked from his role. Boris Johnson tends to support his ministers when they are in trouble – his instinct is not not give into media pressure or opposition attacks. Just look how he stood by Priti Patel and Gavin Williamson when both were facing calls to go.
With rumours of a reshuffle in the autumn, talk has moved to where Raab will switch brief. One of the things hurting the Foreign Secretary is that inside No. 10 he is generally viewed as a safe pair of hands: he deputised for Boris Johnson when he was in hospital with Covid. It means the current row has surprised Raab’s supporters.
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