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DOMINIC RAAB has been attacked from within the Scottish government for “having pina coladas by the pool” instead of making a call to help interpreters stranded in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Secretary has been under heavy pressure this week after it emerged he went on holiday while Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, and therefore failed to make a vital phone call to his Afghan counterpart to offer assistance.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he still has confidence in the minister, who has refused to resign.
Speaking at a rally in Glasgow this weekend, Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said there had not been “one single ounce of compassion from the UK government even now at the most desperate time of need for our Afghan brothers and sisters.
“Shame on each and every one of those political leaders who have abandoned the Afghan people.
“All the while we have a Foreign Secretary who is more occupied with having pina coladas by the pool as opposed to picking up the phone.”
Mr Yousaf also attacked the British government’s resettlement scheme, saying: “If you’re looking for sanctuary, then Scotland can be your home.
“I call on the UK government to show some basic humanity.
“To simply say we will allow 5,000 Afghans – 20,000 over a number of years – is pathetic.”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: “Our staff are working tirelessly to facilitate the swift evacuation of British nationals, Afghan staff and others at risk.
“The scale of the evacuation effort is huge and we have helped more than 3,000 people leave Afghanistan since Sunday [August 15].”
