'We were on the job': Raab hits back at criticism over holiday while Kabul fell
25 August 2021, 08:32
Nick Ferrari grills Raab over his holiday
Dominic Raab has hit back at the controversy over his holiday insisting to LBC he was 'on the job'.
Nick Ferrari questioned Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab over reports he was asked to return from his holiday while Kabul fell to the Taliban.
The LBC presenter asked Mr Raab if it was true he was asked to come back on Friday, but he did not return until the early hours of Monday.
Mr Raab was reportedly asked on Friday 13 August to return to the UK by a senior Downing Street official, as the Taliban took more of Afghanistan and approached the capital of Kabul.
However, he sought permission from Boris Johnson to remain on his luxury holiday in Crete for an additional two days, according to reports in The Sunday Times.
Watch: Raab admits 'in hindsight' he would not have taken holiday amid Afghan crisis
"That's not true," Mr Raab said, adding he would not "get drawn' into a debate about his holiday.
He said the focus of the government and himself was on " making sure we secured the airport and the capacity to get as many people back as possible."
Mr Raab said 9,000 British nationals, Afghans who worked for British forces and those at risk, journalists and Chevening scholars have been evacuated from Afghanistan since August 15.
"I think that shows you that in the Foreign Office, myself, and across the government we were on the job."
Last week Labour said it was ‘shameful’ that the Foreign Secretary was on holiday abroad during a major international crisis.
