£850 Million Afghan Data Leak Exposes 18,000 Applicants, Spurs UK Inquiry

The Afghan data leak of 2022, which exposed personal details of nearly 19,000 individuals seeking to flee Kabul, has triggered significant political fallout in the UK. Former Tory ministers, including Robert Jenrick and Johnny Mercer, have defended their handling of the crisis, with Mercer asserting he possesses evidence of the government's actions and condemning attempts to rewrite history. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sharply criticized the Conservative government's management, highlighting the serious failures, including the data breach, an unprecedented superinjunction used to suppress reporting, and a secret £850 million relocation scheme for affected Afghans. Starmer has called for scrutiny and an inquiry led by the Commons Defence Committee to hold those responsible to account. Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has taken responsibility for the leak but insists the injunction was necessary to protect Afghan nationals' safety and denies it was a cover-up. The controversy continues to expose deep divisions, with former foreign secretary Liz Truss expressing shock over the cover-up and emphasizing the betrayal of public trust.