Boris Johnson DENIES intervening to save Pen Farthing and pets from Kabul despite leaked emails
BORIS Johnson last night furiously denied ordering the rescue of Pen Farthing's pets from Afghanistan - despite leaked emails suggesting he had.
The PM was dragged into a fresh row as unearthed Foreign Office messages said he personally "authorised" the private evacuation flight for the controversial dog-lover and his animals.
Downing Street sources said the email came from a confused Foreign Office official who spoke to the Cabinet Office and then wrongly assumed the request had come from the PM.
During the Kabul crisis Mr Farthing's allies accused the Ministry of Defence of blocking their charter plane - and only secured a landing spot when the PM intervened.
Mr Johnson last year rubbished the claims as "complete nonsense" and said neither he or animal-loving wife Carrie had anything to do with it.
But questions swirled yesterday as emails from a Whitehall official emerged suggesting the PM DID personally sign off on Mr Farthing's airlift.
The August 25 email, from an aide to Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith, said: "The PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated".
It added that Nowzad animal sanctuary founder Mr Farthing's public evacuation campaign had won public support.
Labour said the email - leaked by FCO whistleblower Raphael Marshall to MPs - showed the PM had "been caught out lying" and put pets before desperate Afghans.
And Mr Farthing's pal Dominic Dyer said it "vindicated" his claims that the PM had stepped in and said Mr Johnson should be "proud" that he did.
But last night Downing St led ministers in rubbishing the accusations.
A No10 spokesman said: "The Prime Minister had no role in authorising individual evacuations from Afghanistan during Op Pitting, including Nowzad staff and animals.
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"At no point did the Prime Minister instruct staff to take any particular course of action on Nowzad."
Lord Goldsmith added: "I did not authorise & do not support anything that would have put animals’ lives ahead of peoples’.
"My position, which I made clear publicly, was that the UK should prioritise evacuating people. I never discussed the NOWZAD charity or their efforts to evacuate animals with the PM.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace interrupted a trip to Nato HQ in Brussels to weigh in on the slamming match.
He said: "At no stage did the Prime Minister ring me, talk to me, engage me, lobby me to get those pets out of Afghanistan."
On Lord Goldsmith's supposed involvement he added: "The idea that an environment minister and his officials had any authority or responsibility in the running of the evacuation is ludicrous."
The messages sparked accusations Mr Johnson lied about his involvement and prioritised animals over desperate Afghans for evacuation.
Back in the Commons yesterday Mr Wallace revealed Mr Farthing had not even requested access for his plane at the time he was throwing out wild accusations against the Ministry of Defence.
He told MPs: "It's a complete fallacy that the MOD, me or my adviser was blocking a flight - because there hadn't been a flight request."
He fumed that the "stress and abuse" became "a whole distraction to saving some very desperate people".
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The Defence Sec also blasted Kabul dog-lover Pen Farthing for fueling sick death threats against him and his staff.
He said he was told to "watch your back c***", "you've got a price on your head" and that a "death warrant" had been signed for his closest aide.
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