Former home secretary Suella Braverman has expressed her fury at the cover-up and “failures” of the previous Conservative government over the Afghan data breach.
The dataset containing the personal information of almost 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy was released in error in February 2022 by a defence official.
It triggered an operation to bring 16,000 Afghans to the UK – and saw an injunction, later upgraded to a superinjunction, issued that banned the media reporting on the leak in a bid to prevent the Taliban finding out.
But Ms Braverman has said she opposed the move but was then gagged by the super injunction, which meant she was unable to comment.
“What has happened is outrageous and must never happen again,” she said. “We must therefore be very clear about what that was and how it happened.
“The cover-up was wrong, the super injunction was wrong, and the failure to stop unwanted mass immigration has been unforgivable.
“So, I am sorry: the Conservative government failed you, and its leaders let you down. It wasn’t good enough then. It’s not good enough now.”
Your Views | Independent readers react to UK’s ‘shameful’ MoD data breach
Reactions from readers have been swift and damning, touching on moral responsibility, government secrecy, institutional incompetence, and the human cost of this breach.
Many drew parallels with past scandals, while others demanded consequences and urgent reform.
Here’s what The Independent’s readers had to say:
Former home secretary Suella Braverman condemns her ex-colleagues for Afghan cover up
Former home secretary Suella Braverman has issued a statement expressing her fury at the cover up of the Afghan data breach and use of a secret route to bring 24,000 Afghans to the UK.
Ms Braverman had been under attack from Reform UK because she was home secretary and responsible for immigration during part of the time of the debacle after thousands of names were accidentally leaked in an email from an official.
But Ms Braverman has said she opposed the move but was then gagged by the super injunction which meant she was unable to comment.
She said: “There is much more that needs to be said about the conduct of the MoD, both ministers and officials, and the House of Commons is the right place to do so. I hope we have the opportunity soon.
“What has happened is outrageous and must never happen again. We must therefore be very clear about what that was and how it happened.
“The cover-up was wrong, the super injunction was wrong, and the failure to stop unwanted mass immigration has been unforgivable. So, I am sorry: the Conservative government failed you and its leaders let you down. It wasn’t good enough then. It’s not good enough now.
“This episode exposes everything wrong with the Westminster establishment. The State apparatus thinks it can hide its failures behind legal technicalities while ordinary people pay the price.
“Those responsible must be held accountable, and the system that enabled this cover-up must be dismantled.”
Downing Street defends delay in lifting Afghanistan superinjunction
Downing Street defended the Labour Government’s decision to apply for the Afghanistan superinjunction to be extended prior to Tuesday, saying it was right that a full assessment took place before lifting the order.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “There was significant work that needed to be done.
“We don’t take these decisions lightly. There are obviously serious issues and serious complexities in relation to this case.
“It took time to assess the situation, getting on top of the intelligence assessments, the policy complexities and the court papers, and it was right to do the full and proper work to allow Paul Rimmer the time to complete his assessment.
“But obviously, on the basis of Paul Rimmer’s assessment, the Government has supported the lifting of the superinjunction.”
No 10 says there are questions for Tories – but decline to say what those questions are
Downing Street insisted former Conservative ministers had questions to answer about the Afghan data breach, but declined to say what those questions were.
Asked what questions former ministers should face, the Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “Clearly there have been serious failures here that have led to this major security breach impacting individuals’ data that wasn’t able to be scrutinised in the way the public would expect.
“Now is the time when questions can be asked and answered. The Defence Secretary has set out that process.
“And I would also point out that former Tory ministers have been out over the past 24 hours making clear the total incompetence at the top of government in handling this situation and the wider situation in Afghanistan.
“Johnny Mercer said this morning, this was just the end of the line of the ineptitude of the Conservative government, it’s clear that they have questions to answer about how they handled this whole process.”
Committee will launch inquiry into data leak
The Commons Defence Committee will launch an inquiry into the Afghan data leak.
Committee chairman Tan Dhesi told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: “I’m not sure whether a public inquiry will or will not happen, but one thing you can rest assured on is that the Defence Committee has decided that we will be launching an inquiry to ascertain exactly what transpired here, given the serious ramifications on so many levels.
“We haven’t set out the exact terms of reference, and we will be doing so straight after the recess as to who we will be calling up and how we want to get to the bottom of what has happened on behalf of Parliament, which, by the way, has been sidelined for too long on this issue, on behalf of the people.”
He said it was a “huge concern” that the injunction was in place for more than two years.
“I think the fact that there has been no parliamentary scrutiny, that nobody’s been held to account on this is just not on at all.”
He said the committee would get into the “nooks and crannies” of what compensation has been given or is proposed to be given to Afghan nationals affected by the data breach.
Badenoch declined a briefing where she would have been told about the Afghan data breach
The Tory leader Kemi Badenoch did not attend a briefing in March in which she would have been told about the Afghan data breach.
The Conservatives sent the shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge instead.
Ms Badenoch did not use any of her six questions to the prime minister at PMQs earlier to ask about the scandal, which began under the last Tory government.
The breach, an email blunder, triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme.
Tory sources claimed the March briefing was not flagged as important through the usual channels, meaning the party sent Mr Cartlidge in her place.
Starmer was ‘angry’ when he found out about the Afghan data leak, No 10 says
Keir Starmer was “angry” when he found out about the Afghan data leak, No 10 has said.
Sir Keir Starmer’s press secretary said: “The prime minister is angry at such a terrible breach that had such grave consequences being allowed to happen.
“Which is why it’s clear that there are questions that need to be answered by Conservative ministers who, in their own words, have talked about the ineptitude of the Conservative government at the time.”
Ben Wallace takes ‘complete responsibility’ for Afghan leak — but refuses to apologise for superinjunction
My colleague Archie Mitchell reports:
Watch | Healey: ‘No justification’ for most names in Afghan data leak to claim asylum in Britain
Keir Starmer was “angry” when he found out about the Afghan data leak, No 10 has said.
Keir Starmer was “angry” when he found out about the Afghan data leak, No 10 has said.
Sir Keir Starmer’s press secretary said: “The Prime Minister is angry at such a terrible breach that had such grave consequences being allowed to happen.
“Which is why it’s clear that there are questions that need to be answered by Conservative ministers who, in their own words, have talked about the ineptitude of the Conservative government at the time.”
