Inside Politics: UK warns of ‘credible’ terrorist threat at Kabul airport

Britain is making one last push to get nearly 2,000 people out in what is expected to be the final day of the airlift operation, writes Adam Forrest

Desperate crowds outside Kabul airport on Wednesday (Reuters)

Historians have compared the chaos in Afghanistan with another evacuation after another humiliating defeat – Vietnam in 1975. At the moment, it doesn’t look like the West’s final hours in Kabul will be anything like as orderly as Saigon. The UK and US have warned of a “high threat” of a terrorist attack at the airport, as thousands try to scramble onto the final flights out of the city.

Inside the bubble

Political correspondent Ashley Cowburn on what to look out for today:

Armed forces minister James Heappey is doing the media round to talk about the desperate evacuation effort in Afghanistan, as terrorism fears grow at Kabul airport. Meanwhile, ministers will review the latest data and decide on any changes to the travel traffic light system.

Daily briefing

FINAL COUNTDOWN: There is high threat of a terrorist attack at Kabul airport, according to the UK, US and Australia – warning all those outside the airport to leave the area immediately. “I can’t stress the desperation of the situation enough, the threat is credible, it is imminent, it is lethal,” said armed forces minister James Heappey on Thursday morning. Britain was making one last push to bring nearly 2,000 Afghan interpreters and staff out on Thursday, in what is set to be the final day of the RAF’s airlift operation. The exact timetable is not clear, but defence secretary Ben Wallace made clear in a conference call with MPs on Wednesday evening that time was running very short. Dominic Raab said that “every hour we’ve got” will be used. But the foreign secretary refused to rule out the possibility of UK forces having to complete their departure by the end of Friday.

STEP IT UP: Boris Johnson is under renewed pressure to step up preparations for refugees in what MPs and charities warn could be a “humanitarian catastrophe” after the closure of the airport. Labour’s Dan Jarvis – the senior MP who served as a soldier in Helmand province – told The Independent that preparations to support the reception of a potential flood of refugees in neighbouring countries like Pakistan had so far been “sluggish”. As G7 president, Johnson has a responsibility to lead the drive, he added. Former Tory international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said it was “essential” that the international community prepared for “a significant exodus of destitute Afghans across the border into Pakistan and Iran”.

DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA: Officials in Crete say they are baffled by Dominic Raab’s claim that he couldn’t have been paddle-boarding on holiday while Kabul fell because “the sea was closed” (prompting much mirth on social media). Lena Michalaki, whose hotel a short walk from the luxury resort where Raab stayed, told The Independent: “As far as we are aware there aren’t any beaches that have been closed.” Alexandros Roniotis, who runs the Cretan Beaches website, went further: “No beaches were closed.” The Lib Dems called Raab’s comments “bizarre” and called on him to publish any advice allowing him to go on holiday. “Captain Hindsight’s excuses just won’t cut it with the British people,” said MP Layla Moran.

BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHAOS: Britain’s Brexit supply chain crisis could “cancel Christmas” and cause food shortages well into 2022, industry leaders have warned. The head of the Co-op said shortages were the worst he had ever seen, while Iceland’s boss warned disruption could see Christmas “cancelled” for some families. Other sector chiefs told The Independent they expected supply problems to continue well into next year, unless urgent action was taken to address the shortage of factory workers and lorry drivers. The Road Haulage Association said it could take 18 months to ease the crisis. The Lib Dems said the government must scrap its “arbitrary” threshold on salaries for skilled worker visas. “Priti Patel needs to admit she got this wrong,” said Alistair Carmichael.

SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM: Black people were more likely to be subjected to prolonged Taser use compared with white people, according to a report the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Some 60 per cent of Black people involved in Taser use were subjected to continuous discharges of more than five seconds, compared with 29 per cent of white people. The watchdog also uncovered evidence that some officers made inappropriate comments, including derogatory remarks, during tasing incidents. The Home Office will have to look at the shocking findings very carefully.

WORSE FOR WEAR: Workers in the UK have suffered an average pay cut of £1,000 in real terms each year since the Tories took power a decade ago, according to Labour analysis. Opposition said the Tories had “totally failed” working people – pointing to official ONS data which showed that wages have fallen by 3.45 per cent in real terms since Labour left office in 2010. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was “a sign of a broken economic model” – and called for an immediate increase in the minimum wage to at least £10 an hour. Meanwhile, two “red wall” Tory MPs have written to Boris Johnson, pleading with him not to cut universal credit payments from October. Peter Aldous and John Stevenson said the £20-per-week rise should stay for good.

On the record

“With hindsight, of course, I would have wanted to be back earlier.”

Dominic Raab admits to an error.

From the Twitterati

“Dominic Raab’s paddle boarding denial that “the sea was closed” slightly less convincing than the dog ate my homework.”

Dave MacLadd is not buying Raab’s excuse…

“The sea was closed I went on a drive to test my eyesight. I can’t sweat. Keep em coming!”

…while Rachel Parris says it’s one of the great excuses of our time.

Essential reading

Tom Peck, The Independent: Christmas is cancelled and Brexiteers will be glad for it

Andrew Grice, The Independent: ‘Global Britain’ is obsolete after Afghanistan response

Jeremy Cliffe, New Statesman: Why the world is becoming more French

Dani Garavelli, The Guardian: Just how ‘green’ is the SNP’s deal with Scottish Greens?

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