Latest news with #JamesHeappey
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Armed Forces minister at time of Afghan data leak admits he and other officials 'let the country down badly'
The Armed Forces minister at the time of the Afghan data leak last night admitted that he and other officials had 'let the country down badly'. James Heappey's rare mea culpa came after other ministers sought to distance themselves from the catalogue of errors and failures to inform Parliament about what went wrong. Mr Heappey was minister when the data breach – putting thousands of Afghans on a Taliban 'kill list' – was uncovered in 2023 and when the super-injunction to keep it secret was granted. The former Conservative MP, who gave up his seat at last year's election, also defended the official responsible for the leak, which occurred 18 months before it was discovered. A military officer working for United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF), accidentally emailed the database of 18,714 Afghans to someone, thinking he was sending just 150 names to be checked for possible relocation to Britain. It emerged yesterday the leak also included British Special Forces officers and MI6 spies. The officer was moved to a new role but not sacked. In a 25-message-long thread on X, Mr Heappey said: 'It was gut-wrenching to find out that someone in the Ministry of Defence had screwed up so awfully although I came to find subsequently they were incredibly dedicated to those we served with in Afghanistan. 'Few had done more to get people who served alongside our Special Forces out of Afghanistan. 'It is incredibly unfair that someone who'd done so much good and changed so many lives deservedly for the better, should be responsible. 'But the worst part of all, of course, was the mortal danger we feared this breach presented to applicants whose details had been compromised. The intelligence assessment was clear: if the Taliban got their hands on the list, violent and even lethal reprisal was likely. 'The Ministry of Defence was magnificent in response to it all. But on this breach, we let the country down badly.' Mr Heappey said he was not involved in setting up any of the injunctions surrounding the data leak, but he backed the decisions to impose them. He added that issues arising from the breach resulted in fierce arguments between ministers and 'some pretty choice words' in meetings. The leak led to the creation of a secret Afghan relocation scheme – the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) – in April 2024. Its existence was revealed on Tuesday when the near-two-year super-injunction was lifted. Yesterday former home secretary Suella Braverman and Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said they strongly opposed the plan to bring more than 24,000 Afghans to Britain. It was also reported that those in the Treasury, plus the likes of Sir James Cleverly, the foreign secretary at the time, and Michael Gove, the then-communities secretary, were against it. Key figures yet to break cover include a former Special Forces chief, a Chief of the Defence Staff and Sir Grant Shapps, the defence secretary at the time the injunction was upgraded to a super-injunction and the decision was taken to launch the ARR. General Sir Gwyn Jenkins was director of Special Forces at the time of the leak. In August 2023, when it was discovered, Sir Gwyn was invited to a Cobra meeting in Whitehall. Asked by a minister if he should resign, he reportedly replied: 'Certainly not.' Downing Street has been forced to defend Sir Gwyn's role this week, putting out a statement saying he had 'no role in any aspect of the Afghan resettlement schemes'. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin was Chief of the Defence Staff when the leak was discovered and when it occurred the previous year. The same minister who asked if Sir Gwyn would resign also asked if Sir Tony was going to fall on his sword, and was similarly rebuffed.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
UK data leak during Afghan evacuation: Spies, MPs identified in breach; two-year media gag lifted
File photo More than 100 British officials, including MI6 spies, SAS soldiers, MPs and government ministers, were among those exposed in a major data breach linked to Afghan evacuation efforts, The Independent has reported. The breach occurred in February 2022, when a ministry of defence (MoD) official mistakenly shared sensitive information. It included the personal details of thousands of Afghans who had applied to relocate to the UK, fearing Taliban reprisal due to their ties with British forces. The gravity of the incident led to an unprecedented two-year superinjunction, banning media coverage of the breach. But new court disclosures lifting the ban on media now reveal that British intelligence and special forces personnel were also caught in the leak. The Intelligence and security committee, a powerful parliamentary body, has criticised the secrecy. Its chair, Lord Beamish, said there was 'no justification' for withholding intelligence assessments used to justify the gag order and demanded they be handed over immediately. Former armed forces minister James Heappey, who was in office at the time, called the discovery 'gut-wrenching'. He added that while the MoD official responsible was well-intentioned, the error had severe consequences. He also questioned the credibility of advice he received regarding former Afghan special forces – known as the Triples – who were denied UK entry despite fighting alongside British troops.
South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Ex-minister says no ‘fierce opposition' to Afghan route amid data breach fallout
James Heappey, who was armed forces minister at the time the data breach came to light, said claims he had backed a 'new entitlement' for people affected by the breach but not eligible for other schemes were 'untrue'. His comments on social media on Thursday appeared to contradict those of former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who said he and former home secretary Suella Braverman had 'strongly opposed' plans for the Afghan Response Route in 'internal meetings'. But Mr Heappey, himself a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan, said the cross-government committee responsible for the policy 'tried to extend entitlements by the smallest number possible'. He said: 'This was led by legal advice & I don't recall fierce opposition. There was frustrated resignation that it was necessary.' Mr Heappey did, however, recall 'rancorous' meetings in which departments 'fought fiercely for their priorities and/or to avoid unresourced responsibility'. He also denied that a new 'secret route' was not under consideration at the time he resigned as armed forces minister in March 2024. The data breach, which saw a defence official release the details of nearly 19,000 people seeking to flee Kabul in 2022, became public on Tuesday after an unprecedented superinjunction banning reporting of the breach was lifted. Since then, Conservative former ministers have sought to distance themselves from the handling of the breach and the subsequent creation of a secret relocation scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route, in April 2024. Along with Mr Jenrick's claims of having opposed the route prior to his resignation in December 2023, Ms Braverman herself has said there is 'much more that needs to be said about the conduct of the MoD (Ministry of Defence), both ministers and officials'. Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer claimed he had 'receipts' regarding the previous government's actions in relation to Kabul, and has described the handling of the breach as 'farcical'. Sir Ben Wallace, who applied for the initial injunction as defence secretary, has said he makes 'no apology' for doing so, saying it was motivated by the need to protect people in Afghanistan whose safety was at risk. Mr Heappey backed up his former boss, saying the superinjunction was 'needed' to protect people from 'mortal danger'. He said: 'The intelligence assessment was clear: if the Taliban got their hands on the list, violent and even lethal reprisal was likely.' Mr Heappey added that, although a review by retired civil servant Paul Rimmer found there was now little threat to those on the list as a result of the breach, this did not mean the threat had never existed. He also sought to defend the individual responsible for the leak, saying they had been 'incredibly dedicated to those we served with in Afghanistan'. Grant Shapps, who was defence secretary by the time the superinjunction was granted, has not yet publicly commented on the revelations. The data breach saw a dataset of 18,714 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme released in February 2022 by a defence official who emailed a file outside authorised government systems. Defence sources have said that details of MI6 spies, SAS and special forces personnel were included in the spreadsheet, after they had endorsed Afghans who had applied to be brought to the UK. The Ministry of Defence only became aware of the blunder when excerpts from the dataset were posted anonymously on a Facebook group in August 2023, and a super-injunction was granted at the High Court in an attempt to prevent the Taliban from finding out about the leak. The leak also led to the creation of the secret Afghanistan Response Route, which is understood to have cost about £400 million so far, with a projected final cost of about £850 million. A total of about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the end of the scheme. The official responsible for the email error was moved to a new role but not sacked. The superinjunction was in place for almost two years, covering Labour and Conservative governments. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has apologised on behalf of the Conservatives for the leak, telling LBC: 'On behalf of the government and on behalf of the British people, yes, because somebody made a terrible mistake and names were put out there… and we are sorry for that.' Meanwhile, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has demanded to see intelligence assessments relating to the data breach 'immediately' as MPs and peers begin inquiries over the incident. The Commons Defence Committee has also indicated it will call former ministers to give evidence on the breach, and Mr Heappey said he would be 'happy to contribute' to the committee's inquiry.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-minister says no ‘fierce opposition' to Afghan route amid data breach fallout
Conservative ex-ministers offered no 'fierce opposition' to plans to bring Afghan refugees to the UK via a secret route following a data breach, the former armed forces minister has said. James Heappey, who was armed forces minister at the time the data breach came to light, said claims he had backed a 'new entitlement' for people affected by the breach but not eligible for other schemes were 'untrue'. His comments on social media on Thursday appeared to contradict those of former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who said he and former home secretary Suella Braverman had 'strongly opposed' plans for the Afghan Response Route in 'internal meetings'. But Mr Heappey, himself a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan, said the cross-government committee responsible for the policy 'tried to extend entitlements by the smallest number possible'. He said: 'This was led by legal advice & I don't recall fierce opposition. There was frustrated resignation that it was necessary.' Mr Heappey did, however, recall 'rancorous' meetings in which departments 'fought fiercely for their priorities and/or to avoid unresourced responsibility'. He also denied that a new 'secret route' was not under consideration at the time he resigned as armed forces minister in March 2024. The data breach, which saw a defence official release the details of nearly 19,000 people seeking to flee Kabul in 2022, became public on Tuesday after an unprecedented superinjunction banning reporting of the breach was lifted. Since then, Conservative former ministers have sought to distance themselves from the handling of the breach and the subsequent creation of a secret relocation scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route, in April 2024. Along with Mr Jenrick's claims of having opposed the route prior to his resignation in December 2023, Ms Braverman herself has said there is 'much more that needs to be said about the conduct of the MoD (Ministry of Defence), both ministers and officials'. Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer claimed he had 'receipts' regarding the previous government's actions in relation to Kabul, and has described the handling of the breach as 'farcical'. Sir Ben Wallace, who applied for the initial injunction as defence secretary, has said he makes 'no apology' for doing so, saying it was motivated by the need to protect people in Afghanistan whose safety was at risk. Mr Heappey backed up his former boss, saying the superinjunction was 'needed' to protect people from 'mortal danger'. He said: 'The intelligence assessment was clear: if the Taliban got their hands on the list, violent and even lethal reprisal was likely.' Mr Heappey added that, although a review by retired civil servant Paul Rimmer found there was now little threat to those on the list as a result of the breach, this did not mean the threat had never existed. He also sought to defend the individual responsible for the leak, saying they had been 'incredibly dedicated to those we served with in Afghanistan'. Grant Shapps, who was defence secretary by the time the superinjunction was granted, has not yet publicly commented on the revelations. The data breach saw a dataset of 18,714 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme released in February 2022 by a defence official who emailed a file outside authorised government systems. Defence sources have said that details of MI6 spies, SAS and special forces personnel were included in the spreadsheet, after they had endorsed Afghans who had applied to be brought to the UK. The Ministry of Defence only became aware of the blunder when excerpts from the dataset were posted anonymously on a Facebook group in August 2023, and a super-injunction was granted at the High Court in an attempt to prevent the Taliban from finding out about the leak. The leak also led to the creation of the secret Afghanistan Response Route, which is understood to have cost about £400 million so far, with a projected final cost of about £850 million. A total of about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the end of the scheme. The official responsible for the email error was moved to a new role but not sacked. The superinjunction was in place for almost two years, covering Labour and Conservative governments. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has apologised on behalf of the Conservatives for the leak, telling LBC: 'On behalf of the government and on behalf of the British people, yes, because somebody made a terrible mistake and names were put out there… and we are sorry for that.' Meanwhile, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has demanded to see intelligence assessments relating to the data breach 'immediately' as MPs and peers begin inquiries over the incident. The Commons Defence Committee has also indicated it will call former ministers to give evidence on the breach, and Mr Heappey said he would be 'happy to contribute' to the committee's inquiry.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-minister says no ‘fierce opposition' to Afghan route amid data breach fallout
Conservative ex-ministers offered no 'fierce opposition' to plans to bring Afghan refugees to the UK via a secret route following a data breach, the former armed forces minister has said. James Heappey, who was armed forces minister at the time the data breach came to light, said claims he had backed a 'new entitlement' for people affected by the breach but not eligible for other schemes were 'untrue'. His comments on social media on Thursday appeared to contradict those of former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who said he and former home secretary Suella Braverman had 'strongly opposed' plans for the Afghan Response Route in 'internal meetings'. But Mr Heappey, himself a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan, said the cross-government committee responsible for the policy 'tried to extend entitlements by the smallest number possible'. He said: 'This was led by legal advice & I don't recall fierce opposition. There was frustrated resignation that it was necessary.' Mr Heappey did, however, recall 'rancorous' meetings in which departments 'fought fiercely for their priorities and/or to avoid unresourced responsibility'. He also denied that a new 'secret route' was not under consideration at the time he resigned as armed forces minister in March 2024. The data breach, which saw a defence official release the details of nearly 19,000 people seeking to flee Kabul in 2022, became public on Tuesday after an unprecedented superinjunction banning reporting of the breach was lifted. Since then, Conservative former ministers have sought to distance themselves from the handling of the breach and the subsequent creation of a secret relocation scheme, the Afghanistan Response Route, in April 2024. Along with Mr Jenrick's claims of having opposed the route prior to his resignation in December 2023, Ms Braverman herself has said there is 'much more that needs to be said about the conduct of the MoD (Ministry of Defence), both ministers and officials'. Former veterans minister Johnny Mercer claimed he had 'receipts' regarding the previous government's actions in relation to Kabul, and has described the handling of the breach as 'farcical'. Sir Ben Wallace, who applied for the initial injunction as defence secretary, has said he makes 'no apology' for doing so, saying it was motivated by the need to protect people in Afghanistan whose safety was at risk. Mr Heappey backed up his former boss, saying the superinjunction was 'needed' to protect people from 'mortal danger'. He said: 'The intelligence assessment was clear: if the Taliban got their hands on the list, violent and even lethal reprisal was likely.' Mr Heappey added that, although a review by retired civil servant Paul Rimmer found there was now little threat to those on the list as a result of the breach, this did not mean the threat had never existed. He also sought to defend the individual responsible for the leak, saying they had been 'incredibly dedicated to those we served with in Afghanistan'. Grant Shapps, who was defence secretary by the time the superinjunction was granted, has not yet publicly commented on the revelations. The data breach saw a dataset of 18,714 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) scheme released in February 2022 by a defence official who emailed a file outside authorised government systems. Defence sources have said that details of MI6 spies, SAS and special forces personnel were included in the spreadsheet, after they had endorsed Afghans who had applied to be brought to the UK. The Ministry of Defence only became aware of the blunder when excerpts from the dataset were posted anonymously on a Facebook group in August 2023, and a super-injunction was granted at the High Court in an attempt to prevent the Taliban from finding out about the leak. The leak also led to the creation of the secret Afghanistan Response Route, which is understood to have cost about £400 million so far, with a projected final cost of about £850 million. A total of about 6,900 people are expected to be relocated by the end of the scheme. The official responsible for the email error was moved to a new role but not sacked. The superinjunction was in place for almost two years, covering Labour and Conservative governments. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has apologised on behalf of the Conservatives for the leak, telling LBC: 'On behalf of the government and on behalf of the British people, yes, because somebody made a terrible mistake and names were put out there… and we are sorry for that.' Meanwhile, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has demanded to see intelligence assessments relating to the data breach 'immediately' as MPs and peers begin inquiries over the incident. The Commons Defence Committee has also indicated it will call former ministers to give evidence on the breach, and Mr Heappey said he would be 'happy to contribute' to the committee's inquiry.
