Dominic Raab faces grilling from MPs over Afghanistan TODAY as he clings to his job

0
101

DEFIANT Dominic Raab faces a fight for his career today during an intense grilling from MPs about Afghanistan.

The Foreign Secretary’s handling of one of Britain’s biggest overseas crises in modern times will come under the microscope in Parliament from 2pm.

Dominic Raab arrives at Downing Street today ahead of his committee showdown
Committee chair Tom Tugendhat this morning put Mr Raab on notice

He is already on the ropes for a series of blunders – with colleagues privately calling him “Minister Meathead” because he’s destined for the chop.

Gunning members of the Commons foreign affairs committee will quiz the Cabinet big beast on efforts to rescue Afghans left behind, future engagement with the Taliban.

They will also probe the Foreign Sec over what preparations he personally made before the Western withdrew from the country after 20 years of conflict.

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Committee chair Tom Tugendhat – who has torn strips off the Government in recent weeks – this morning fired a warning shot across Mr Raab’s bow.

He told Good Morning Britain: “I’m looking forward to hearing this afternoon what our Foreign Secretary has been doing over the last four months.”

MPs on the committee are returning to Westminster from their summer holidays for an emergency meeting.

They summoned embattled Mr Raab last week as military planes scrambled to airlift Brits and desperate Afghans out of Kabul.

Attention will now turn to how the hundreds still stranded will be scooped up from the Taliban’s clutches.

This morning the Foreign Office announced that 15 diplomats will be deployed to Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to help process eligible refugees. 

CHARGE SHEET

Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy has presented her Tory opposite number with a lengthy charge sheet of 10 “failings”.

It includes uncomfortable questions about Mr Raab’s holiday to Crete while Kabul fell – although the Foreign Sec has repeatedly said he was busy coordinating the evacuation.

Ms Nandy also wants answers to reports that sensitive details of vulnerable Afghans were left strewn around the abandoned British embassy in Kabul for Taliban thugs to find.

The string of raps have put Mr Raab – Boris Johnson’s most senior minister – on reshuffle watch.

One Tory MP told HOAR: “We have started calling him Minister Meathead. Everyone thinks he is for the chop.”

The beleaguered Cabinet Minister yesterday slammed critics briefing against him, furiously accusing them of “buck passing”.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “There are no plans for any reshuffle. The Prime Minister has full confidence in his Foreign Secretary.”

Future engagement with the Taliban will be on the agenda

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.hellofaread.com/politics/nightclub-revellers-will-need-vaccine-passports-to-get-in-from-september-as-no-10-cracks-on-with-plan/