Payout offered to Afghans hit by UK data breaches
The biggest breach took place in September 2021 when the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) team was working to evacuate people from Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal of western troops.A mass email was sent to those, such as interpreters, whose work with the UK government meant they could be targeted by the Taliban and therefore made them eligible to be relocated. Their email addresses were added to the 'To' field instead of the 'blind carbon copy' (Bcc) section, meaning their names could be seen by all recipients.The Ministry of Defence later launched an internal investigation that revealed two similar breaches on 7 September and 13 September of that year.Sean Humber from the Leigh Day law firm which is representing some of those affected said the government's statement about compensation contained "little information"."As far as we are aware, there has been no consultation with those affected or their legal advisors about the scheme - it is not clear the criteria that will be used to identify the proposed payment amount."In our client's case, he and his family spent five very scared months in hiding in Kabul concerned that the Taliban were now aware that he had assisted UK forces and were looking for him. "He feared for his life and was aware of the Taliban beating and killing others that had assisted UK forces. "We will need to review critically with our client whether any sum that is now being offered adequately compensates him for distress that he has undoubtedly suffered."
After investigating the breaches in 2023, information commissioner John Edwards said the error could have led to a "threat to life" and had "let down those to whom our country owes so much".The commissioner initially fined the government £1m but that was reduced to £700,000 in recognition of the measures taken by the Ministry of Defence to report the incident, limit its impact and the difficulties of the situation for teams handling the relocation of staff.It was further reduced to £350,000 as part of a change in approach by the watchdog to public sector fines. Announcing the compensation payouts in a statement on Friday, Pollard said his department would "drive improvement in the department's data handling training and practices".Earlier this week, the government announced that the Arap scheme was closing to new applicants, having resettled 21,316 Afghans in the UK.Around half of those brought to the UK were children, and a quarter were women. A Home Office paper published on Tuesday said Defence Secretary John Healey believed the scheme had "fulfilled its original purpose".It said the scheme could now be shut down "not least so that defence efforts and resources can be focused where they are most needed - on our nation's security, to combat the acute threats and destabilising behaviour of our adversaries".
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BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough MPs on their whirlwind first year
In the early hours of the morning on 5 July 2024 it became clear that the political map of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough was about to change. Six of the MPs elected were new to the job. How do they feel a year into their roles? Prior to the general election on 4 July 2024, the county had seven MPs - six of which were Conservative. Only Labour's Daniel Zeichner, the MP for Cambridge, did not sit on the then Conservative government's benches. Boundary changes meant the county was given an eighth parliamentary seat and as the general election results started to come in the colour of the political landscape turned from blue to a rainbow of blue, red and yellow. Andrew Pakes, Peterborough Andrew Pakes, the Labour MP for Peterborough, says the last year has been a "rollercoaster ride".Like all new MPs, after winning his seat in July he went straight to Westminster for inductions and felt like he was setting up a new business at the same time. "It's like getting two jobs at once" as you establish your MP office, he and previously described them as the "golden thread" running through all the government's plans to boost growth and the June the government announced Peterborough would receive funding for a new station quarter and sports quarter, which will include a new swimming the time of the next general election, which is expected in 2029, Pakes wants to see "spades in the ground" for the projects. Pippa Heylings, South Cambridgeshire "It's the craziest, biggest job, I have ever had and I'm loving it," says Pippa Heylings, the Liberal Democrat MP for South Cambridgeshire. Heylings recalls having to "hit the ground running" in July 2024 and set up hwe office whilst learning to do the says she and her team have handled about 7,000 cases from the constituency in the last forward the growth agenda is her focus, she says, and giving her constituents a voice. She adds she also wants to get plans for the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and Cambridge Children's Hospital "over the line". When asked what advice she would give her newly elected self, she says: "It's a marathon not a sprint." Charlotte Cane - Ely and East Cambridgeshire Charlotte Cane, the Liberal Democrat MP for Ely and East Cambridgeshire, said the past year has been "a whirlwind, very challenging and a steep learning curve", but also a "real honour". In the first few weeks following the general election she says she found the role "very overwhelming", after receiving "floods of emails" and with no staff to help at the beginning. "I didn't even have anywhere to store physical letters," she says. Yet, she says she has enjoyed visiting the different types of businesses in her constituency, from high tech companies "where people are literally doing things in outer space" to the large number of farms in the describes her shock after hearing about the challenges disabled people are facing when applying for grants to help them get into work, with some cases having "taken up to a year", she says. Ben Obese-Jecty, Huntingdon A "learning curve" and a "rollercoaster" is how Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, describes his first year as an says he underestimated how full on the job is, saying: "A news headline late one evening will affect how you do your job the next day. It's difficult to switch off."On reflection, he says, he should have "factored in some more free time" as trying to find a work-life balance is the next four years the MP is calling for a dedicated strategy for male victims of domestic also wants to see more new defence technology companies come to his constituency, along with a new train station at Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire. Sam Carling, North West Cambridgeshire Sam Carling, the Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire, was the youngest MP elected in the country at the age of describes his first year as a "baptism of fire" following the intense media interest in him since his election. "I even got recognised on the train," he says. He describes his first year in Parliament as a "steep learning curve", but he says he has enjoyed doing case work and building relationships with colleagues."Everybody is just normal and I really wish the public could see more of the collaborative work that MP's across all parties do," he the next four years he wants to see more GP appointments and dental care made accessible to constituents and greater protection of rural bus routes. Ian Sollom, St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire "Thrown in at the deep end" and "drinking from the fire hose" is how Ian Sollom, the Liberal Democrat MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire, describes his first says his proudest achievement is getting employment coaches from Huntingdon Jobcentre to come to St Neots to support people looking for work. The experience gave him "the taste to influence things", he says, of which he is keen to do the next four years he wants to see better health infrastructure established in the new towns and estates in his constituency, including primary care. He also wants better funding for Cambridgeshire Police and reforms to special educational needs and disability provision, so all children "get the education they deserve".The role has been "everything I hoped for", he says, and he feels like his team are making "little differences". Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Inside the ugly relationship between Islamism and the Left
Barely an hour after Zarah Sultana announced that she was leaving Labour to lead a new Left-wing party with Jeremy Corbyn, the Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) campaign group posted a statement on X wishing the pair 'every success in this bold new chapter'. Labour refused to engage with Mend after Sir Keir Starmer took over as leader, and cut the party's ties with groups accused of links to Islamism. In his official review of the Prevent anti-extremism programme in 2023, Sir William Shawcross described Mend as an 'Islamist organisation' and, before becoming Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley highlighted the group's alarmist opposition to British counter-extremism measures. Wishing @zarahsultana and @jeremycorbyn every success in this bold new chapter. At a time when so many feel politically voiceless, your continued commitment to justice, equality, and grassroots representation is inspiring. We look forward to seeing positive change flourish. — MEND Community (@mendcommunity) July 3, 2025 Sultana, however, might take a different view. Although there is no suggestion that she holds Islamist views, before becoming an MP she worked as Mend's parliamentary officer. She has also claimed that the phrase 'Islamist' is used to smear pro-Palestine activists as 'violent and extreme'. Like Mend, she has been deeply critical of Prevent, describing it as 'racist'. Like Sultana, Mend insists that Israel is carrying out a 'genocide' in Gaza – an issue that Sultana's statement says will be a focus of her new party. Sultana and Corbyn's venture (although Corbyn has yet to publicly confirm his ally's statement) appears to herald a new dawn in the decades-long relationship between the far-Left and Islamism, which has been flourishing amid the war in Gaza like never before. It is perhaps fitting that the announcement should come in the week after tens of thousands of festival-goers at Glastonbury joined in with a chant of 'death to the IDF' that would not have sounded out of place at a parade of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, or a Hamas rally. Many may also have been among the crowd at Glastonbury eight years earlier, when Corbyn was welcomed on stage to a chant of 'Oh, Jeremy Corbyn'. The political alliance highlighted by Mend's support for Sultana and Corbyn's new party, and the seeping of Islamist narratives and slogans into progressive protest, are the culmination of a long marriage of convenience between Islamism and the hard-Left, based on a shared sense of grievance and cynical opportunism. The Left hopes to harness the fervour of anti-Western sentiment among radicalised Muslims, while Islamism benefits from the warm glow of the more acceptable face of progressives who exert influence over culture and politics. Rakib Ehsan, the British Muslim academic and author, says: 'The hard-Left and Islamism are tied by grievance politics and, in the darker circles of their intersection, anti-Semitism is rife – especially the classic tropes about global power, influence and control. That is shared by both sides, along with sympathies with foreign regimes which are hostile to so-called Western interests.' Broadly speaking, Islamism relates to groups espousing 'political Islam', by stressing that religion should determine how society is governed. These groups tend to have close links to, or show support for, far-Left organisations such as Palestine Action and Stop The War. 'Islamist organisations are gradualists,' says Lord Walney, the former Labour MP and adviser to the Government on political violence and disruption. 'They believe that, ultimately, we should live under Islamic rule, but they realise that that's not going to happen soon, so they will pick out building blocks – such as blasphemy laws – to keep moving the dial.' The effort to shape Britain's approach to the Gaza conflict appears to have become one of those building blocks. Now, the alliance is stronger than ever, with Islamists and the far-Left joining forces to influence government policy, with demands to end arms sales to Israel, and opposition to the Government's plans to ban the radical protest group, Palestine Action. If you wanted a family portrait of this idiosyncratic partnership, it would be hard to beat the sight of pink-haired protestors in the capital effectively cheering for the mullahs of the Iranian regime, claiming to be on the 'right side of history' – with clerics who execute homosexuals, torture opponents and systematically oppress women. Soviet origins Fifty years ago, much of the far-Left was inspired by the Soviet Union's Middle East propaganda, a pro-Islamist stance in response to US and European support for Israel. That influenced Left-wing groups in the UK – such as the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Revolutionary Communist Group – who identified Arabs as oppressed, while Israel, then as now, was seen as an illegitimate 'white' state. But the far-Left remains a politically insignificant force on its own. Part of the motivation for an alliance with Islamism is to harness the power of others for their own ends – which, of course, works both ways. This is neatly illustrated in a 1994 article by Chris Harman of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) for International Socialism, ' The Prophet and the Proletariat ', which advocated for a pragmatic working relationship between Islamists and revolutionary socialists. Harman is open about the areas of opposition between the two groups – over the role of women, for example – but concludes: 'On some issues we will find ourselves on the same side as the Islamists against imperialism and the state… It should be true in countries like France or Britain... Where the Islamists are in opposition, our rule should be, 'with the Islamists sometimes, with the state never'.' In Britain, where Islamism only speaks for a fraction of the country's Muslims, the Labour party remained a natural home for many Muslim voters up to Tony Blair's premiership. 'To put it crudely, community leaders were able to 'deliver' votes for Labour from within those communities in certain areas such as Birmingham or Bradford,' says Timothy Peace, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of Glasgow. 'From the 1980s, Muslims themselves began to enter local councils, but the closeness with Labour continued up to the late 1990s.' This began to break down thanks to the wars in Iraq (2003-2011) and Afghanistan (2001-2021). The establishment of the Stop The War Coalition (STWC) in 2001 was a milestone which provided Corbyn and other prominent Leftists with a forum to connect with groups such as the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB). Last year, the then Communities Secretary, Michael Gove, alleged in Parliament that the MAB, together with Mend and Cage, which campaigns against counter-terror measures, 'give rise to concern for their Islamist orientation and views'. All three groups rejected the label, with Mend's chief executive Azhar Qayum saying his organisation was 'not at all' extremist, Cage pledging to 'explore all avenues, including legal' to challenge the 'government's deep dive into authoritarianism', and the MAB accusing Gove of a 'blatant effort to stifle dissenting voices'. Britain's action in Iraq and elsewhere gave overtly Islamist groups an opportunity to tap into the concept of the 'Ummah' – the worldwide Islamic community. Shawcross's review warned that key Islamist narratives included, 'commanding that [their interpretation of] the Islamic faith is placed at the centre of an individual's identity, and must govern all social and political decision-making'. At the same time, a definition of Islamophobia proposed by some MPs and backed by bodies such as Mend and the MAB would prohibit anyone from 'accusing Muslim citizens of being more loyal to the 'Ummah'… than to the interests of their own nations', raising concerns about potential limits on freedom of speech. 'The MAB were tied to political Islam and found inspiration from the Muslim Brotherhood, a powerful organisation in Arab countries,' says Peace. 'The MAB were one of the key organisations in Stop the War, even though they were not very big at the time it began. The driving force were the Socialist Workers Party, and they managed to mobilise large numbers of Muslim protesters, and that overruled any ideological divisions between the two groups.' The MAB has said it is 'a British organisation operating entirely within the British Isles, with no presence elsewhere. It is not an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood nor a member'. Respect Party A 2004 poll revealed Labour's support among Muslim voters had halved from its high watermark of around 80 per cent. The Lib Dems specifically targeted Muslim voters with an anti-war agenda at the general election a year later, which paid off most notably in Rochdale. Labour's Lorna Fitzsimons was unseated amid claims of anti-Semitism in campaign leaflets produced by a group called the Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK, which advocated for the Lib Dems, and later apologised for the pamphlets. More significant was George Galloway's victory in Bethnal Green and Bow in east London over Labour's Oona King in 2005. Galloway, expelled from Labour in 2003 and a long-standing anti-Zionist, assumed a leadership role in the nascent Respect Party, described in The Observer as an, 'alliance... between the Trotskyist far-Left and the Islamic far-Right'. In 2010, the Channel 4 series Dispatches alleged that the Islamic Forum of Europe, which sought to change 'the very infrastructure of society... from ignorance to Islam', had been campaigning for Respect. Galloway described the documentary as 'a dirty little programme'. 'Even though far-Left figures were involved, Muslim voters were driving Respect because the Left have never been able to mobilise large numbers of voters alone,' says Peace. In the years between 2005 and 2023, the links between the Left and Islamism were largely built on an antipathy for counter-terrorism measures such as Prevent, which it was claimed put unfair emphasis on the role of Muslims in extremism, thus contributing to Islamophobia. In his 2021 report for the Policy Exchange think tank, Islamism And The Left, Britain's former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir John Jenkins, wrote: 'Following the introduction of legislation by David Cameron's Government that put Prevent on a statutory footing, the Islamist-aligned campaign groups Cage and Mend, and the Stand Up To Racism network, allegedly linked to the Socialist Workers Party, formed a particularly close alliance. 'Throughout 2016 and 2017, individuals representing Mend spoke at Stand Up To Racism events across the country. Some of these events were attended by prominent Labour figures such as... Jeremy Corbyn.' Corbyn, now 76, is in many ways, along with Galloway, the great continuity figure in the relationship between the Left and Muslim political activism, stretching back through his campaigning over 50 years. Gaza war Within eight hours of the attack by Hamas on Oct 7 2023, the Met Police received its first request for a national demonstration against Israel. That first march took place on Oct 14, and carried an 'end apartheid' message, supported by the SWP, the Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) and the MAB. Corbyn addressed the rally, saying, 'You must condemn what is happening now in Gaza by the Israeli army.' Although Islamism only speaks for a minority of Muslims, the Gaza war has confirmed that support for Palestine (and animosity to Israel) is widespread within Britain's Muslim communities. Central to the pro-Palestinian protests ever since October 2023 have been the SWP working alongside, among others, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), the Left-wing group run by Ben Jamal, the son of a Palestinian Anglican vicar, and the MAB. The latest Stop The War posters display the SWP logo alongside those of the PSC, MAB, Mend and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, among others. 'Palestine does rank differently in terms of its importance to Muslims,' says Ehsan. 'Some might think, 'Why is this MP talking about Gaza so much?', but you'll find that they are representing the views of their Muslim constituents.' Galloway was re-elected to Parliament in the Rochdale by-election of 2024, having stood for the Workers Party of Britain in opposition to Israel. Labour withdrew support for its own candidate Azhar Ali, who apologised following reports that he claimed Israel had 'allowed' the Hamas attack, leaving Galloway to secure 40 per cent of the vote and proclaim: 'Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza.' Ehsan says that 'when it comes to Israel and Palestine, many British Muslims are emotionally invested. In their eyes, this is their brothers and sisters suffering at the hands of a Jewish-supremacist regime. They also feel they live in a country that doesn't recognise Palestine – there is a sense of betrayal.' 2024 elections The moment the Green councillor Mothin Ali chanted 'Allahu Akbar!' in his victory rally in Leeds last May signalled something had changed in British politics. Ali later apologised for past comments on Israel, which included posting on Oct 7 that 'White supremacist European settler colonialism must end.' But the preponderance of Gaza as a central issue in areas with large numbers of Muslim voters was evident in both the general and local elections. Leane Mohamad almost unseated Wes Streeting by campaigning on Gaza in the Health Secretary's Ilford North constituency in 2024, losing by only 528 votes, and claiming more than 32 per cent of the vote from a standing start. This pattern was replicated across the country at the general election, and though Mohamad fell just short, four other independent candidates were able to defeat Labour opponents in areas with significant Muslim populations. Several more pushed prominent Labour figures – including Jess Phillips in Birmingham Yardley – to within an inch of defeat. Shockat Adam, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed and Ayoub Khan then joined Corbyn (who else?) to form a new 'Independent Alliance' of MPs. The logo of this faction features green, white and black arrows on a red base, conveying the colours of the Palestinian flag. There is no suggestion that any of these MPs are Islamists. What their election does show is that many Muslims are prepared to vote en masse for candidates on the single issue of Gaza. That in itself is a noteworthy, novel development in British politics. 'Pro-Palestine candidates now know they can win without a mainstream party,' says Ehsan. 'That is the future. We are now in a totally different political environment.' Anti-Zionist 'takeover' of the Greens Last month, Ali shared a post supporting Palestine Action that altered the words to William Blake's poem, Jerusalem. It ended with the line: 'Till we have built Jerusalem in Palestine's green and pleasant land'. The words, turned into the famous hymn of England, had been rewritten in support of the group alleged to have broken into RAF Brize Norton base and damaged Typhoon fighter jets. Ali rose to further prominence last summer when he was filmed advocating for the protection of Muslims during the riots in the aftermath of the Southport murders. Now he is standing to become the Green Party's deputy leader. His success highlights how the Greens are attracting both far-Left figures and some Muslim politicians who, while not linked to Islamism, have espoused extreme views. It will also become a test case of whether that partnership can last. During the election, the party endorsed half a dozen candidates who allegedly shared 'anti-Semitic' slurs, conspiracy theories or offensive comments online. It went on to enjoy its best-ever general election results, winning nearly two million votes, including four seats in the Commons. Muslim support was crucial to the victory in Bristol Central, where there is a large Somali community. 'The Greens aren't just ripe for takeover – they have been taken over,' says Lord Walney. Corbyn's former advisor Matt Zarb-Cousin has recently joined. 'Some of the ant-Zionist rhetoric in Green activism is absolutely toxic,' adds Lord Walney. 'I don't think they have any interest in tackling that because they want to be an influential voice and capture that alternative Left, and to be in that space you need to be vehemently anti-Israel – that reflects the Islamist point of view as well.' A Green Party spokesperson declined to comment on Ali or the findings of any investigation into his conduct, but told The Telegraph: 'People join because they are passionate about human rights, ending systemic racism, and stopping climate change. In joining, members also agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.' Another test case when it comes to the partnership between some Muslims and the far-Left over Gaza, will be the recent takeover of Tribune, the Left-wing publication for which George Orwell used to be a columnist, by the founder of the Islam Channel, which repeatedly accuses Israel of a genocide in Gaza, and was fined £40,000 by Ofcom over 'serious and repeated breaches' of broadcasting rules which 'amounted to hate speech against Jewish people'. Former Tribune editor Paul Anderson said it was 'one of the weirdest things to have happened in the history of British media. The link probably comes from the Jeremy Corbyn factor, that Islamic hard-Left alliance.' Taking an ugly turn Beyond Gaza, Islamist groups and the far-Left have come together to support a new definition of Islamophobia, which has been rejected by previous governments as being too vulnerable to influence from extremists. Critics believe the proposed definition, which is also supported by many moderate Muslims, is so expansive that it could threaten free speech, act as a de facto blasphemy law, and stifle legitimate criticism of Islam as a religion. To Lord Walney, the convergence over the definition speaks to a recurring theme of the far-Left's alliance with Islamists. The relationship gives figures such as Corbyn cover for some distinctly unprogressive views. 'The hard-Left's strange attraction to Islamism reflects their tolerance for authoritarianism,' says Lord Walney. 'British politics is potentially taking a really ugly turn.'
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Liberal hypocrisy over immigration has just been brutally laid bare
The Guardian is increasingly worried about a grave threat to British jobs. In an editorial this week, it begged UK firms not to replace university graduates with Artificial Intelligence – because AI 'must not be allowed to eclipse young talent'. It would be awful, the Guardian continued, if graduates' prospects were 'short-sightedly shut down in the name of cost savings'. Quite right, too. I agree with every word. There is, however, just one small thing that puzzles me. Glad as I am to see the Guardian highlighting this threat to middle-class jobs, why does it rarely seem quite so concerned about an equally grave threat to working-class jobs? Over the past couple of decades, any number of working-class people have complained that their livelihoods are under threat from mass immigration. Again and again, however, the Guardian has published articles flatly dismissing these fears. It's run headlines such as, 'The Tory Fallacy: That Migrants Are Taking British Jobs and Driving Down Wages.' And: 'We Keep Hearing About 'Legitimate Concerns' Over Immigration. The Truth Is, There Are None.' And, as recently as May this year: ''Things Could Fall Over': Businesses and Public Services on Starmer's Immigration Crackdown.' Anyone who disagreed was liable to be accused of racism – even if they were children. 'Racist and Anti-Immigration Views Held by Children Revealed in Schools Study,' reported the Guardian in 2015, noting with horror that '60 per cent of the children questioned believed it was true that 'asylum seekers and immigrants are stealing our jobs''. Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall the Guardian thundering that immigrant plumbers and builders 'must not be allowed to eclipse young talent'. Or that working-class people's prospects must not be 'short-sightedly shut down in the name of cost savings' offered by cheap foreign labour. But perhaps it's different, when it's your own children's futures at risk. Slaves to wokery Believe it or not, some MPs are still insisting that our country owes reparations for the transatlantic slave trade. Even in happier times, it would have been difficult to persuade the wider public of their case's merits. But imagine trying to do it right now. 'Good evening, sir, I'm from the Labour party. As you will be all too well aware, these are very tough times for the nation's finances – so I'm afraid that at the next Budget we will have no alternative but to increase your taxes. Oh, and then increase them a bit more, so that we can give away vast sums of your money to countries thousands of miles away in compensation for crimes that took place hundreds of years ago and which you personally had nothing to do with.' Not the easiest sell. None the less, the campaign continues. Last week, the Jamaican government – which is extremely keen on reparations – petitioned the King to seek legal advice on the issue. And this week, Bell Ribeiro-Addy – the Labour MP who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations – said: 'I think it's important that people are moving forward with legal remedies, because ultimately enslavement was ended with the law, the reparations to slave owners happened under the law, and so reparations to those affected must happen under legislation.' Reparations to 'those affected'? Very well. If she can find me an 18th-century Caribbean slave, I will be only too happy to compensate him. He can use the money to throw a lavish party for his 250th birthday. Unfortunately, however, I won't be able to make the same offer to anyone born more recently. Because they're no more victims of the slave trade than I'm a victim of the Great Fire of London. Sultana fruitcake Personally I'm delighted that Zarah Sultana, the 31-year-old ex-Labour MP for Coventry South, is about to launch a new Left-wing party. Because it will give us the opportunity to ask her an important question. On January 29, Ms Sultana voiced her furious opposition to the planned expansion of Heathrow airport, denouncing it as 'reckless, short-sighted and indefensible' in the face of the 'climate emergency'. Yet, on March 26, she readily endorsed a campaign for a brand new international airport to be built in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan – on the grounds that it would 'serve the vibrant, worldwide Kashmiri diaspora' (of which Ms Sultana happens to be a member, as her grandfather came to the UK from Kashmir). The question for this exciting new political leader, therefore, is: what changed? In the eight weeks between these two pronouncements, did the 'climate emergency' suddenly end? If so, I'm surprised that the Government hasn't made more of this wonderful news. Think of all the money it can save, now that net zero is no longer required. Alternatively: perhaps the 'climate emergency' is still raging, but a new Pakistani airport wouldn't exacerbate it, because, unlike nasty British planes, Pakistani ones don't emit greenhouse gases. In which case, we must beg Pakistan to share its astonishing aeronautical secrets. When Ms Sultana becomes prime minister, I hope it will be the very first thing she does. Way of the World is a twice-weekly satirical look at the headlines aiming to mock the absurdities of the modern world. It is published at 7am every Tuesday and Saturday
