MOD chief clerk falls on his sword over Afghan scandal

 David Williams, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, is to be resigned in autumn 2025.

This follows just weeks from the revelations of a catastrophic Afghan data breach, and Superinjunctions, that exposed personal details of up to 100,000 individuals, many of whom were part of the ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) scheme.

Key Details

  • The breach involved names, emails, and phone numbers of Afghan nationals who supported UK military operations.

  • The MOD secured a contra mundum superinjunction — a rare legal order that not only blocked reporting on the breach but also concealed the existence of the injunction itself.

  • The fallout led to the creation of a covert Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) to evacuate those at risk.

  • Allegations emerged that Taliban-linked individuals infiltrated the evacuation process.

  • Estimated cost of the cleanup: £7 billion, largely spent on resettlement 

    • The MOD sill in turmoil from Sir Ben Key as First Sea Lord was sacked on 2 July 2025 after an investigation found his behaviour “fell far short of the values and standards expected” of senior military personnel.

    • The misconduct involved an alleged affair with a subordinate female officer, violating the Navy’s strict “service test” which prohibits relationships between commanders and their subordinates.

    • He was prevented from resigning early to ensure the investigation was completed.

    Consequences

    • His service and commission were terminated, and he lost his rank as Admiral.

    • However, he retains his pension, despite the dismissal.

    • He was succeeded by General Sir Gwyn Jenkins of the Royal Marines.

    Sir Ben’s Statement

    “I deeply regret my conduct in the spring of last year... I fully accept the decision of the Defence Council. I am very sorry to those I have hurt personally, and I apologise to everyone who serves with the Royal Navy.”

    Broader Implications

    This marks a rare and high-profile disciplinary action within the UK military hierarchy. Sir Ben had previously championed a “zero tolerance” stance on misconduct, making the outcome especially stark

  • With the handover from Admiral Radakin to Air Chief Knighton as MOD head, new 5% GDP NATO mega budget rises, recruitment gaps, Russia/Ukraine sanctions value, Agnes murder, Gaza RAF flights/war crimes, USA nukes in UK again, drone strikes in MENA, SAS war crimes and crises over kit from carriers to radios the MOD faces tough questions on leadership and performance.

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