The News Agents BONUS EPISODE: Exclusive - Defence secretary on the "catastrophic" Afghan leak
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Jul 15, 2025 John Healey, a prominent Labour Party MP and former Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, joins to shed light on a shocking Afghan data breach that jeopardized thousands of lives. He discusses the government's delayed transparency and the implications of a superinjunction that silenced reporting for two years. The conversation unpacks the ethical dilemmas of political decisions affecting Afghan support and the urgent need for accountability in light of such catastrophic errors. Healey emphasizes the crucial role of Parliament in restoring public trust.
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Unprecedented Superinjunction Use
- The Afghan data breach was met with a constitutionally unprecedented super injunction for two years.
- This prevented Parliament, the public, and journalists including MPs from any scrutiny or reporting.
Data Breach Origin and Employment
- The data breach was caused by a defence official mistakenly sending a spreadsheet containing Afghan data.
- This person is no longer working on the Afghan brief but remains employed by the British government.
Accountability Begins After Injunction
- The breach had catastrophic consequences but no one has yet lost their job.
- Accountability and transparency are now possible because the super injunction is lifted.