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AIBU?

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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:
Frazzled2207 · 30/08/2021 17:04

I loathe the government generally but think Ben Wallace is actually one of the few coming across as competent and compassionate right now. He has dealt well with the media and as I understand it, with MPs on all sides too

Raab on the other hand….wtf

That said i really don’t know why they didn’t start evacuating people out some time ago, like the French. Someone needs to take responsibility for that.

Pen farthing’s expletive laden voicemail was bloody awful. Even take away the swearing the attitude was vile. The whole episode is embarrassing.

Sakura7 · 30/08/2021 17:08

Bloody hell I see the efforts to vilify PF are continuing.

What exactly is wrong with him reuniting with his wife in Norway? The animals are in quarantine, what do you think he can do for them at this time? Once they're free to be rehomed I'm sure he'll be working hard to do just that (in fact I believe homes have already been arranged for most of them).

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 17:08

Dom Dyer and the lovely Peter Egan are on Talk radio tonight. Not sure of time yet but between 7pm and 10pm for those that are interested.

Tele12345 · 30/08/2021 17:17

Not vilify, just acknowledging that he has chosen to quarantine in Norway so he can visit his family ASAP, not quarantine in the UK so he can visit the dogs and cats ASAP. On the surface, (quite rightly I think) he prioritized seeing his family over seeing the animals. If you agree with his decision then surely you can have a little empathy for the government, who initially said they didn't have capacity to deal with both animals and people, and had to prioritize people (ie families).

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 17:20

What exactly is wrong with him reuniting with his wife in Norway? The animals are in quarantine, what do you think he can do for them at this time? Once they're free to be rehomed I'm sure he'll be working hard to do just that (in fact I believe homes have already been arranged for most of them).

Some people are just desperate to make him look bad. I’m just glad most people can see what really going on.

notimagain · 30/08/2021 17:20

@Saucery

It’ll be a No from all the Afghan people abandoned to the Taliban because of paperwork hoops to jump through.
Probably but who is putting the paperwork hoops in the way?

I’m sure Priti P/Rabb would be more than slightly upset if Mr Wallace was muscling into areas of their brief.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 17:24

They could have been as upset as they liked as long as that paperwork was okayed and more people got out. I’d rather be remembered as the Tory who showed a human face than as the Tory who talked a good Twitter fight.

Bryonyshcmyony · 30/08/2021 17:28

The arrogance of Ricky Gervais has been pretty shocking tbh.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 17:37

The arrogance of Ricky Gervais has been pretty shocking tbh.

He certainly loves the c word. But he’s an animal lover and supported Pen. Maybe I’ve missed something?

notimagain · 30/08/2021 17:39

@Saucery

They could have been as upset as they liked as long as that paperwork was okayed and more people got out. I’d rather be remembered as the Tory who showed a human face than as the Tory who talked a good Twitter fight.
It’s got stuff all to do with a Twitter fight…

If you cast your mind back/look back you will see that the ambassador stayed at the airport until pretty much the last flight out.

The ambassador works for the FCO not MOD.

He stayed as much as anything because as the senior FCO person on the ground he (and his staff) could try and expedite the paperwork hoops…

I sense there’s a “hate Wallace” campaign but the blame, if there is any needs to go where it is deserved….

SueSaid · 30/08/2021 17:40

@Bryonyshcmyony

The arrogance of Ricky Gervais has been pretty shocking tbh.
I wasn't surprised at him being arrogant tbh I just didn't think he was so stupid to be going along with the twitter mob.
Bryonyshcmyony · 30/08/2021 17:41

@VeganVeg

The arrogance of Ricky Gervais has been pretty shocking tbh.

He certainly loves the c word. But he’s an animal lover and supported Pen. Maybe I’ve missed something?

Why would he think he knows more than the troops on the ground and the British military?
VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 17:45

Why would he think he knows more than the troops on the ground and the British military?

I have no idea what he has said, I’m asking you.

Saucery · 30/08/2021 17:46

I sense there’s a “hate Wallace” campaign but the blame, if there is any needs to go where it is deserved….

If there is then I’m not part of it. I’ve disliked him for a while and for various reasons which would get me deleted here. I’m a free range haterrrr of Ben Wallace, you could say…

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 17:51

Just looked on Gervais twitter, mostly about Afterlife and his live shows he’s been doing. Has he done an interview or something?

Booknooks · 30/08/2021 17:53

@Bryonyshcmyony

The arrogance of Ricky Gervais has been pretty shocking tbh.
Nothing new there.
VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 18:03

Nothing new there

What has he said?

SueSaid · 30/08/2021 18:13

'have no idea what he has said, I’m asking you'

He said 'all the stupid cunts not understanding pets go in the hold so won't take up a place' or similar. Making himself look incredibly stupid as it wasn't about 'the hold' it was about the logistics. Scarce airport time and resources having to be wasted to accommodate Mr Farthings 'Operation Ark'. I mean even the name makes me cringe.

I'd like to ask 'stupid cunt' privileged Gervais why when many refugees could not take luggage as hold space was limited why should 3 truckloads of cats and dogs have been accommodated?

ilovebagpuss · 30/08/2021 18:15

He had managed to get visas for lots of staff and families. He could have lied for some to help people I would, make up that someone works as a vet assistant or whatever to get a visa. The animal sanctuary as an employer was also a good cover to get them all out.
They had chartered a private plane and gone to catch it when Ben Wallace put a stop to it so they had to go back.
If they had just been allowed to get the plane there would be no news.
The whole people before animals thing meant in the end the people who should have been on that flight with him got left behind.
There was an actual car on one of the British flights out that took up about 60 spaces and that’s an inanimate object before people. It didn’t need to become an either/or situation.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 18:27

So it seems Gervais didn’t say anything different to others. There were many people saying that the animals were going to take up space that humans could use so presumably he was addressing those ignorant people. Lots of people seemed to think humans could be put in the hold.

The refugees were taken on planes that didn’t have holds to put luggage in. Pen arranged a plane with a hold to put animals in.

So actually not much to report about Gervais ‘arrogance’ afterall, although I understand some people going the c word very offensive.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 18:28

*find the c word very offensive.

notimagain · 30/08/2021 18:32

@ilovebagpuss

There was an actual car on one of the British flights out that took up about 60 spaces

On ..whack a mole time again…

Plenty of explanations given previously here and elsewhere about why that might have happened and also why the car being on board may well have not displaced any evacuees.

SueSaid · 30/08/2021 18:36

'So actually not much to report about Gervais ‘arrogance’ afterall, although I understand some people going the c word very offensive.'

Tbh calling people cunts didn't bother me in the slightest it's the irony of him calling people stupid while trawling out the 'they rescued a car' stupid crap that was the the bizarre bit.

VeganVeg · 30/08/2021 18:38

On ..whack a mole time again…

I think Pens supporters feel like that too with many points being raised over and over after being proved wrong on this and other threads. Lots of lies by one poster in particular.

Bryonyshcmyony · 30/08/2021 19:10

"pens supporters"

Bleargh

It's not a football match