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Original poster

To ask if you think ben wallace has done a bad job?

730 replies

Needapoodle · 27/08/2021 08:41

Loads of people on social media calling for Ben's (defence secretary) resignation over pen farthing and his operation ark.

I think ben and his department have suddenly been thrust into a highly volatile and constantly changing dangerous situation in which he has to make decisions for the good of the most amount of people possible. I also think that the insistence on evacuating hundreds of animals will undoubtedly have taken resources away from getting people out of Afghanistan and prevented human lives from being saved. I don't think that calling for ben's resignation over some animals not being able to be evacuated is reasonable at all. Or have i missed something?

OP posts:
fourminutestosavetheworld · 30/08/2021 16:27

To be fair, the animals were met by vets and secured in quarantine, and PF chose to continue his journey to his wife and her family in Norway, where reports say that he is indeed now quarantining. I expect he's still contactable, and indeed has been on tv today saying that they've already started plans to help the staff left behind.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 16:28

We should be seeing a lot more Afghan people in travelogues but oh wait…….the govt pissed about so much they couldn’t get here!

Indeed.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 16:30

And thanks to autocarrot, that should of course have said travelodges 🤦‍♀️

notimagain · 30/08/2021 16:31

@JaniieJones

Why isn't he quarantinijg? Why are we seeing footage of Afghans in travelodges for 2 weeks?! Yet he skips onto a connecting flight to Norway. Jesus.

Presumably airside transfer/transit, all legit and above board….no idea what the Rules are in Norway…

On another point, almost spit out my afternoon tea with the idea that somehow Wallace knew of Biden’s dastardly plans to change paperwork….US…UK MOD comms…….don’t work along the lines iPod

“Hey Ben it’s Jose we’re changing our rules in two hours..”

Oh…and it’s starting to look like other versions of the story, which sometime differ in important detail, are becoming available as certain people get home…not sure they’ll make the papers though.

SueSaid · 30/08/2021 16:32

'To be fair, the animals were met by vets and secured in quarantine, and PF chose to continue his journey to his wife and her family in Norway, where reports say that he is indeed now'

Yes I do understand he didn't just set them free on the M25 but still, imo he shouldve hung about here, in the very country he shipped them to.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 16:34

@Janiiejones

'To be fair, the animals were met by vets and secured in quarantine, and PF chose to continue his journey to his wife and her family in Norway, where reports say that he is indeed now'

Yes I do understand he didn't just set them free on the M25 but still, imo he shouldve hung about here, in the very country he shipped them to.

Genuinely lost as to why you think that? He has family in Norway. Did you want him in a kennel next to the dogs to serve his quarantine? Confused
SueSaid · 30/08/2021 16:41

'Genuinely lost as to why you think that? He has family in Norway. Did you want him in a kennel next to the dogs to serve his quarantine'

.

No no not a kennel next to his dogs. Just you know, in the same country, it all looks so ridiculous. Still, for people who have misguidedly thought the whole farce was a good idea from the beginning and think that twit Dyer speaks sense I won't be able to convince you that dumping 200 animals then skipping off to Norway looks really, really bad.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 16:43

Well, I don’t accept they were ‘dumped’ or that he ‘skipped’ off anywhere so I guess we’ll have to leave that there. Smile

WanderingFruitWonderer · 30/08/2021 16:44

Unbelievable to me that people are still spending ludicrous amounts of time going out of their way to tear one man (Pen Farthing) down, when he's so obviously being used as a scapegoat to distract from the government's mishandling of this crisis.
I decided to stay away from these threads after yesterday, but thought I'd have a quick peek. Silly me.
The animals are being cared for in quarantine. Pen Farthing I believe is in quarantine in Oslo. He had to quarantine somewhere, so wouldn't have been able to visit the animals daily yet anyway. I don't think he will be physically with his wife till his quarantine is over. I think he's spending his time working on getting his staff and their families out, by diplomatic means.
It doesn't matter anyway. Some people aren't interested in facts, and have condemned PF as the bogie man, no matter what. He could heroically run into a burning building and rescue babies, there'd still be some people criticising him for some reason or other. I give up 🤷

Bryonyshcmyony · 30/08/2021 16:47

I don't believe he's being used as a scapegoat.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 16:47

Annnnyywaaaayyy, this thread has gone off track a bit, as it’s about whether Ben Wallace has done a Good Job or not.

I don’t. I think he took things personally (interesting that some have said there is a history between the two men, maybe that will be clarified in the future) and spent time on Twitter that would have been better spent on getting as many Afghan nationals out of there as possible.
I also think his hands were tied by the US govt. They were always going to call the shots about the evacuation.

SueSaid · 30/08/2021 16:51

'it’s about whether Ben Wallace has done a Good Job or not.'

Yes he's done a good job, facilitated the evacuation of 15000 refugees despite some people trying to smear and derail with their own demands and private jet arrangements.

KeflavikAirport · 30/08/2021 16:55

I suspect the real villain of the piece is Carrie who was bending BJ's ear behind the scenes.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 16:55

Perhaps that’s a comfort to all the Afghan people who have been applying to leave their country for several months prior to this. I hope so.
I’m sure he thought he was doing his best, hampered by the Taliban holding all the cards outside the airport and the US govt holding all the cards inside it.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 16:57

I think he took things personally (interesting that some have said there is a history between the two men,

I cannot wait for the full story of their history to be published. I’ve heard bits but apparently it’s been swiftly deleted. I’ve also heard bits from a friend of a friend who is a journalist. No idea what’s true or reliable but if some bits are, it’s going to show a certain someone in a very bad light.

Bryonyshcmyony · 30/08/2021 16:57

I think he's done a good job. Dominic Raab is a twat, but Ben Wallace and the military have done the best they can despite Ricky Gervais mouthing off.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 16:57

@KeflavikAirport

I suspect the real villain of the piece is Carrie who was bending BJ's ear behind the scenes.
Why does there have to be a villain? It’s not an episode of Scooby Doo Confused What you need in a crisis is people who can ignore all the peripheral stuff and get people out of a war zone. Johnson, Wallace et al have not been those people.
notimagain · 30/08/2021 16:57

. I think he took things personally (interesting that some have said there is a history between the two men, maybe that will be clarified in the future)

Be interesting to see if that is ever confirmed I’ve not because Wallace was an officer in the Scots Guards, Farthing was an NCO Physical in the Royal Marines, (as I understand it Physical Training Instructor as a “trade”) so it’s unlikely their paths crossed, certainly in the military, but I guess it’s not impossible.

If anything I’ve been wondering if some of the apparent lack of love has been down to, let’s say, factors involved in ex- officer vs. ex-NCO or ex-Army vs. ex-Navy….

Bryonyshcmyony · 30/08/2021 16:58

Ben Wallace has literally been thst person.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 16:58

, this thread has gone off track a bit, as it’s about whether Ben Wallace has done a Good Job or not.

That will be a no from me.

SueSaid · 30/08/2021 16:59

'I’m sure he thought he was doing his best, hampered by the Taliban holding all the cards outside the airport and the US govt holding all the cards inside it.'

Saucery we agree at last Smile

He was in an impossible situation and 15000 out was a good result even with the tragic deaths.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 17:00

It’ll be a No from all the Afghan people abandoned to the Taliban because of paperwork hoops to jump through.

FangsForTheMemory · 30/08/2021 17:00

TBH I have a huge issue with rehoming animals from other countries anyway. The rescues in the UK are full of unwanted animals needing a home. All my cats have been second or third hand ones.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 17:01

@Janiiejones

'I’m sure he thought he was doing his best, hampered by the Taliban holding all the cards outside the airport and the US govt holding all the cards inside it.'

Saucery we agree at last Smile

He was in an impossible situation and 15000 out was a good result even with the tragic deaths.

Well I never. Wink
SueSaid · 30/08/2021 17:03

@Bryonyshcmyony

I think he's done a good job. Dominic Raab is a twat, but Ben Wallace and the military have done the best they can despite Ricky Gervais mouthing off.
What a monumental arsehole Gervais is, wading into it all without the basic understanding that it wasn't 'they go in the hold' anyone was disputing it was time and resources. Even repeating the 'they rescued a car' crap.