Dominic Raab
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Dominic Raab has been rinsed for defending his controversial Crete holiday, taken in the early days of the Afghanistan crisis, in a rather unusual way.
Speaking to Sky News, the foreign secretary fought his corner and dismissed calls to resign, amid ongoing criticism that he should have returned from his holiday earlier and that not doing so meant he didn’t have a handle on the crisis.
It has been reported that he delegated a vital phone call to an Afghan foreign minister to a junior minister and then it didn’t even end up happening, and that he persuaded Boris Johnson to let him stay in Crete for two days longer than he was advised.
Today, Raab dismissed the claim he asked to stay longer as “speculation” and said he worked hard while on holiday, attending Cobra meetings and holding meetings from his accomodation. He also denied reports by The Times that witnesses said they saw Raab swimming and using a paddleboard on the last day of his holiday.
But whether this is the case or not, his defence somewhat unravelled when he had a completeThe Thick Of It moment and basically said: “I promise I was working, I couldn’t have played in the sea even if I had wanted to. The sea was closed, ask anyone.”
What he really said was: “The stuff about me lounging about on the beach all day is just nonsense. The stuff about me paddleboarding - nonsense. The sea was actually closed, it was a red notice.”
He added: “The pace of the Taliban takeover, I think, even caught the Taliban by surprise.”
And reacting to this, people found it hilarious:
Dominic Raab arrives at the beach and there’s a guy with a mop just clearing up the last of the sea saying “sorry pal, we closed ten minutes ago, try again tomorrow.”
— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) August 25, 2021
‘The truth of the matter is that Moses came along and first parted the sea that day and then closed it.’ pic.twitter.com/lnO2BgYh0Q
— Tim Walker (@ThatTimWalker) August 25, 2021
— Tom Walters (@Tommyblx) August 25, 2021
i was the one who told dominic raab the sea was closed. i put a hand-made sign on the beach seconds before he got there and snickered at him from behind a palm tree as he believed it. on his way back he ran into a wall i'd painted a tunnel on and made a growling sound
— thomas usher stan account (@joelgolby) August 25, 2021
“The sea was actually closed” was really got me pic.twitter.com/jaHpi8WFu0
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) August 25, 2021
You’re laughing? Dominic Raab says he wouldn’t have been able to go paddle boarding because the sea was closed on his holiday and you’re laughing. pic.twitter.com/V4uooevhMt
— Kirsten (@blessedorkirst) August 25, 2021
@DominicRaab Am not sure ‘the sea was actually closed’ is really the defence you seem to think it is for choosing not to come home and deal with an international crisis, involving British civilians & dependents.
— Helen Talaga (@helentalaga) August 25, 2021
“The sea was closed”? @DominicRaab Did they get Poseidon’s authority to do this?
— Head On-2020 (@HeadOn2020) August 25, 2021
dominic raab has said the sea was closed on national tv
— Frances Weetman (@francesweetman) August 25, 2021
Raab also admitted that “with the benefit of hindsight” he would have come back from holiday sooner. This led to yet more roasting, given Boris Johnson frequently calls opposition leader Keir Starmer “Captain Hindsight” for scrutinising him.
Many people thought Raab was more worthy of the title:
Should all those of us who opposed Brexit now claim the title Captain Hindsight?#RemainersWereRight
— Scarborough lass 💙 (@Scarborough_GB) August 25, 2021
Remember when boris just used 'captain hindsight' to deflect any criticism of the covid response
— Elizabeth (formerly GB)🏳️⚧️ (@GuidingBreeze) August 25, 2021
I can't believe people voted for this lot!
Dominic Raab: With hindsight I wouldn't have gone on holidayhttps://t.co/8LHucc5Q6I
"Captain Hindsight" here he is in all his glory 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/M3bkLNx13d
— russ (@russellluxton1) August 25, 2021
Dominic Raab represents a party that thinks 'Captain Hindsight' is a hilarious nickname, yet appeals to hindsight on every question. @UKLabour #BBCBreakfast
— SJ2 (@sjames1132) August 25, 2021
Raab said the government has evacuated more than 9,000 people from Afghanistan since 15 August, including 2,000 people in the last 24 hours.
But responding to a poll of 2,083 by Savanta ComRes for Left Food Forward, which showed that 51 per cent believed the foreign secretary should resign, he said polls suggesting he should resign were not an “accurate barometer” of public opinion – so what are, who knows.
But if Twitter is anything to go by, it seems that Raab is coming across as a bit of a clown.
