logo
Downing Street defends defence secretary after accusations he misled parliament

Downing Street defends defence secretary after accusations he misled parliament

ITV News18-07-2025
Downing Street has defended Defence Secretary John Healey after accusations he misled MPs when saying no serving armed forces personnel were put at risk by the Afghan data breach.
Number 10 said the Defence Secretary's statement to the Commons, in which he said that 'to the best of my knowledge' no serving armed forces personnel were put at risk by the breach, was 'accurate.'
Opposition critics have demanded the minister 'correct the record' after it emerged days later that MI6 spies and members of the SAS were among those named in a list emailed out 'in error' February 2022.
Asked whether Mr Healey had misled MPs, a Number 10 spokesperson said: 'I believe it was an accurate statement.'
They said the Government is 'committed to transparency' and 'in terms of security of our personnel, we take that extremely seriously, particularly those in sensitive positions'.
"Today I'm announcing a change in government policy," said Defence Secretary John Healey as he disclosed the formerly secret resettlement scheme.
The accusations follow the revelation that in 2022 thousands of people began being secretly relocated to the UK from Afghanistan after a data breach from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) risked their lives.
A dataset containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) was released "in error" by a defence official.
The scheme is understood to have cost around £400 million so far, with a projected cost once completed of around £850 million.
Millions more are expected to be paid in legal costs and compensation.
This information came to light after a superinjunction prohibiting its reporting was lifted by the high court on Tuesday.
It emerged days later that the leaked information also included the names of around 100 British spies and special forces officers names.
Speaking on Friday, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: 'Three days ago John Healey claimed no-one serving in the armed forces was put at risk by the data breach. Today we found out that appears to be false.
'We need to know if any serving members of the armed forces were impacted – and the Defence Secretary must urgently come before Parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public.'
Meanwhile, former Conservative ministers have sought to distance themselves from the handling of the breach after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said members of the previous government had 'serious questions to answer' over their handling of the leak.
Speaking Friday morning, former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps said he had kept the superinjunction in place in order to 'save lives' and err 'on the side of extreme caution."
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about his handling of the issue he claimed he, "would do the same thing all over again," in order to save lives.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

KEIR STARMER: 'The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now'
KEIR STARMER: 'The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now'

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

KEIR STARMER: 'The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza must end now'

Keir Starmer says the starvation and desperation in Gaza is 'utterly horrifying' and the UK will 'pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to the Palestinians' The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting. ‌ I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation in Gaza are utterly horrifying. ‌ The denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people – to children and babies – is completely unjustifiable. So is the continued captivity of the hostages. And so is Israel's disproportionate military escalation in Gaza. ‌ Hundreds of civilians have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid. Children have been killed while collecting water. It is a humanitarian catastrophe. And it must end now. We have put millions of pounds of aid into Gaza. We have announced an extra £40 million of humanitarian support this year. But the help is not getting in. ‌ So we are scaling up our work. We are urgently accelerating efforts to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance – bringing more Palestinian children to the UK for specialist medical treatment. News that Israel will allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza has come far too late – but we will do everything we can to get aid in via this route. We are already working urgently with the Jordanian authorities to get British aid onto planes and into Gaza. We will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to the Palestinian people immediately. ‌ More broadly, alongside our closest allies, I am working on a pathway to peace in the region – focused on the practical solutions that will make a real difference to the lives of those that are suffering in this war. That pathway will set out concrete steps to turn the desperately needed ceasefire into a lasting peace. ‌ Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis. This is the way to ensure that recognition is a tool of maximum impact to improve the lives of those who are suffering – which must always be our ultimate goal. The fact we have rebuilt the UK's standing on the world stage enables us to rally international action behind real, purposeful, practical solutions. That's what we have done with the Coalition of the Willing to support Ukraine. That is what must happen in the Middle East – building a new international coalition behind a plan to end the suffering, now and for the long term.

Adams: It's a regret that end to armed campaign took decades to bring about
Adams: It's a regret that end to armed campaign took decades to bring about

Leader Live

time2 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Adams: It's a regret that end to armed campaign took decades to bring about

The former Sinn Fein president also voiced regret that it took so long to come, suggesting the UK Government was focused on 'defeating republicanism'. He also said he regretted the number of lives lost during the Troubles as he reflected on the upcoming 20th anniversary of the IRA statement. The IRA formally ended its 35-year paramilitary campaign on July 28 2005 when former republican prisoner Seanna Walsh read a statement. While a number of ceasefires had been announced and collapsed since 1994, the 2005 statement saw the start of the decommissioning of weapons. The statement said that members had been instructed to use exclusively peaceful means, and not to engage in any other activities whatsoever. Mr Adams described the move as seismic, and an 'indication of confidence' by 'all the IRA' and not just its leadership. 'The statement came after there had been some sort of internal process, a huge vote of confidence in people,' he said. 'It took decades for it to be put together. 'You have to go back to Father Alec Reid, Father Des Wilson, myself, John Hume and the endeavour to put together an alternative to armed struggle. 'It took all that time to do that, but that's what the IRA said in its statement, that they believed there was now a peaceful way to pursue republican and democratic objectives, and ordered its volunteers to not be engaged in any other activity whatsoever, and authorised contact with the International Commission on Decommissioning. 'It took decades and one of my regrets is that it took so long. In my humble opinion it took so long because the two governments, particularly the British government, only sought peace on its terms, which meant defeat the IRA, it meant defeat republicanism and that doesn't work, our people are resolute.' He added: 'The proof of it is that 20 years later the IRA isn't a feature. Some may want to make it a feature, invent, fabricate and so on, but that's the proof of it.' Asked whether he felt the IRA should issue an apology for all the lives lost by their actions, Mr Adam pointed to a statement in 2002 on the anniversary of Bloody Friday, a series of bombs across Belfast which claimed nine lives. It included an offer of 'sincere apologies and condolences' to the families of all 'non combatants' killed or injured by IRA actions. 'I think in fairness that the record will show that the IRA leadership have apologised on a number of occasions about specific incidents or operations which it was involved in, particularly around the issue of civilian casualties or fatalities,' he said. 'One of the big regrets that I have is that so many people were killed, and particularly people who weren't involved and particularly children, that's a real concern. 'I say that from a community and a family which lost loved ones in the course of all of this.' However, Mr Adams added that while he thinks it is important to look back over the last 20 years, it is also important to look forward to the next 20 years and a referendum on a united Ireland. 'One thing we can say with certainty is there is going to be a referendum on the future, the Irish Government doesn't want it, the British Government doesn't want it, unionists don't want it but there is going to be the day when people will vote for the future,' he said. 'Our responsibility, and for everyone who is concerned about the future, need to be part of the conversation well in advance of that vote. Whether it is about public services, health services, the economy, flags, emblems, taking all of those issues and trying to find solutions to them that allows everyone to be comfortable in the new Ireland. 'You rarely get the opportunity to write the future, and we now have that opportunity and its contained in the Good Friday Agreement.' 'I do know that there will be a united Ireland so whether it happens the day after I die or a couple of years before then. 'It is not inevitable, the forces against it are quite strong but if we work at it. 'If we continue to do the sensible, intelligent things that we have been trying to do, then – although I would love to live in a united Ireland – it matters little to me whether it happens after I die or before it. To be able to say in my own heart to say, 'I played a part in bringing that about', that'll do me.' Mr Adams was speaking ahead of an Feile An Phobail arts event this weekend to mark the anniversary. He will take part in a discussion alongside Mr Walsh, chaired by Sinn Fein Galway TD Mairead Farrell, at the Balmoral Hotel in Belfast on Saturday.

British Embassy: "Georgian Dream has distanced itself from Euro-Atlantic cooperation"
British Embassy: "Georgian Dream has distanced itself from Euro-Atlantic cooperation"

JAMnews

time2 hours ago

  • JAMnews

British Embassy: "Georgian Dream has distanced itself from Euro-Atlantic cooperation"

UK regrets Georgian Dream's actions The British Embassy in Georgia has published a statement on sanctions against 21 Russian military intelligence agents and four Russian organizations 'in response to Russia's hostile actions.' The statement also mentions a cyberattack carried out by Russian military intelligence against Georgia in 2019. The Embassy reaffirms its strong support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and expresses regret over the ruling Georgian Dream party's drift away from Euro-Atlantic cooperation. The text of the statement: 'In concert with the EU, NATO and a large coalition of states, the UK has called out Russia's irresponsible, destructive and destabilising hybrid activity targeting the UK, Ukraine, NATO allies and partners across the world. In response to Russia's persistent hostile activity, the UK has sanctioned 4 entities and 21 operatives of Russian military intelligence for irresponsible and destructive hybrid activity targeting the UK, Ukraine, and the wider world. This includes one of the units of the GRU – Russian military intelligence agency – which, in 2022, conducted online reconnaissance to help target missile strikes against Mariupol – including the strike that destroyed the Mariupol Theatre where hundreds of civilians, including children, were murdered. We have also sanctioned three leaders of Russia's 'Africa Initiative', a Foreign Information Manipulation and Influence (FIMI) outlet established and funded by Russia, employing Russian intelligence officers to conduct information operations in West Africa. Africa Initiative attempted to undermine lifesaving global health initiatives in the region by pushing baseless conspiracy theories to further the Kremlin's political agenda. The activity exposed is another demonstration of how hybrid activity – including through cyberspace and disinformation – are a tool in Russia's ongoing campaign to destabilise Europe, and in Russia's brutal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. In October 2019, Georgia was also the subject of a damaging cyber-attack by the Russian military intelligence. In February 2020, the UK Government and its partners exposed these cyber-attacks against Georgia as part of Russia's long-running campaign of hostile and destabilising activity. We have been clear that the GRU conducted these cyber-attacks in an attempt to undermine Georgia's sovereignty, to sow discord and disrupt the lives of ordinary Georgian people. The UK remains unwavering in its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UK and Georgia worked together to build cyber resilience and to publicly attribute that attack, unfortunately Georgian Dream has moved away from Euro-Atlantic co-operation, but the threat from Russia remains, including in the cyber sphere.' News in Georgia

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store