Why was the government allowed to keep the Afghan data breach secret?

Politics Weekly UK

The Guardian

Politics, News

4.0 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The revelation that the government concealed a huge story about the resettlement of people from Afghanistan after their lives were put at risk by a data breach has left Westminster reeling. So why was it allowed to be kept secret for so long? And what could the fallout be? The Guardian’s political correspondent Kiran Stacey joins John Harris to discuss. Plus, Harris speaks to Ed Miliband, the energy security and net zero secretary, about his plans to tackle the climate crisis, why it’s becoming a culture war issue, and how to combat that. And, what does the public really think about net zero? Harris asks Sophie Stowers, a pollster from More in Common. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

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1:20.8	This week, one news story has left people really.
1:25.0	The Westminster establishment, it seems, concealed a huge story about the resettlement
1:29.3	of people from Afghanistan, with the bills stretching into the billions. A major data breach,
1:35.6	a super injunction, a secret route that has already cost hundreds of millions of pounds.
1:42.4	Ministers who served under the party opposite have serious questions to answer about how this
	...

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