Under Fire Raab: I Will Not Be Quitting

Embattled Dominic Raab yesterday faced down furious demands for him to quit over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis while on a luxury holiday.

- Martyn Brown

The Foreign Secretary is under attack for not calling his Afghan counterpart for help to rescue interpreters who had worked for the British military as the Taliban advanced on capital Kabul.

Asked yesterday if he was going to resign, Mr Raab gave a one-word answer to reporters in Downing Street: “No.”

The minister was reportedly “unavailable” during his family break in Crete when officials in his department suggested he phone Hanif Atmar urgently.

The Afghan foreign ministry then refused to arrange a call with junior minister Zak Goldsmith, pushing it back to the next day.

Mr Raab, 47, was also condemned for not returning from holiday sooner as Afghanistan descended into chaos. He landed back in the UK on Monday – the day after Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Labour, the SNP, Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru said he failed to “perform his basic duties” and was “no longer fit” to represent the country.

Catastrophic

They say he should either quit or be sacked by PM Boris Johnson.

Yesterday Mr Raab’s apparent inaction was also condemned by Rafi, 35, a former translator and a British citizen.

He said: “If he didn’t make the call, I’m shocked. How could somebody do something like that in this chaotic situation?

“The interpreters and their families could be killed at any time.” Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Who wouldn’t make a phone call if they were told it could save somebody’s life?”