Leaked letter casts doubt over Number 10 claims Boris Johnson ‘wasn’t involved’ in animal Afghan airlift

Boris Johnson’s former permenant private secretary (PPS) was involved in the evacuation of Pen Farthing’s staff and animals from Afghanistan, despite the claims being denied by 10 Downing Street earlier today.

As revealed by LBC’s political editor Theo Usherwood, a letter from the PM’s then PPS Trudy Harrison confirmed her correspondence with Farthing over the Afghan airlift.

At lunchtime Number 10 said a whistleblower’s claim the PM and his wife were involved in the evacuation of Nowzad staff was “untrue”.

Just been passed a letter from the PM’s PPS Trudy Harrison to Pen Farthing to confirm Nowzad staff could travel to the airport to be evacuated. pic.twitter.com/zYLLU0L4aG

— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) December 7, 2021

Whistle-blower Raphael Marshall told MPs that the foreign office received “an instruction from the prime minister” to help Farthing’s staff and animals, but the claims were rubbished earlier in the day by the prime minister’s spokesperson, who

A campaigner for the Nowzad charity Dominic Dyer told BBC News  “Yes we lobbied, and we lobbied very successfully. I forced the prime minister’s arm”.

Earlier today, the prime minister’s spokesperson stated that “neither the Prime Minister nor Mrs Johnson were involved”.