London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 07, 2026

Inside Dominic Raab's £1000-a-night Crete holiday as Afghanistan collapsed

Inside Dominic Raab's £1000-a-night Crete holiday as Afghanistan collapsed

BUNGLING Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was having a splashing time in his £1,000-a-night holiday suite’s private pool as Afghanistan collapsed in chaos.

Mr Raab, 47, lapped up the luxury of his resort’s exclusive “Amirandes Family Suite” which boasts its own pool and garden in Crete.

A look inside the £1,000-per-night resort in Crete where Dominic Raab stayed while Afghanistan was falling to the Taliban

The bedroom in the luxury holiday resort

The beachside terrace with a pool

And he was unable to tear himself away from the dream hideaway among millionaires and celebrities for three crucial days as the Taliban encircled Kabul.

Raab was facing the axe from “furious” Boris Johnson today amid claims his inaction could have cost the lives of trapped translators facing revenge for helping British forces.

And his cabinet post was hanging by a thread last night as more details of his stay at the sumptuous Amirandes Boutique Resort emerged.

Sources revealed last night that his Brazilian wife Erika Rey booked the ground floor suite in her name.

Their ground-floor apartment boasted 40 square metres of tastefully-furnished living space opening out onto a 70 square metre garden complete with his and hers sunbeds.

The couple baked in glorious 30C sunshine and cooled off in their own plunge pool on their private terrace, a stone’s throw from the manicured beach.

They enjoyed the choice of the palm-fringed resort’s Lago Di Candia and Minotaur restaurants - adorned with genuine Picasso ceramics - and three beachside bars.

The hotel - styled as a “sparkling boutique resort for the privileged and perceptive” - also offers pampering treatments and massages at its Elixir Alchemy Spa.

Mr Raab has claimed he continued to monitor the Kabul crisis while on holiday


Mr Raab’s arrival was so low key that staff had no idea the British minister was the tanned tripper enjoying swimming, sunbathing and paddle tennis until he suddenly checked out.

A source told The Sun: “His arrival was so discreet that few people realised there was a British minister here until he left in a hurry.

“Their suite was beautiful with its own pool and garden but was by no means the most expensive here.

“He seemed to be really enjoying his holiday until he cut short his trip and left last Sunday - it wasn’t until then that people realised he was a VIP.”

'Monitoring crisis'


Father-of-two Mr Raab has claimed he continued to monitor the Kabul crisis while on holiday and insisted he did not spend long periods sunning himself.

But Brits at the hotel yesterday claimed he spent “hours” chilling out on Sunday as the bloodthirsty Islamists began pouring into Kabul, sending Afghans fleeing for their lives.

Fellow guests of the politician included millionaire tycoons and Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen.

Ian, 60, who played dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen’s bodyguard, Ser Jorah Mormont was still relaxing with his family at the resort today.

Raab has been accused of being “asleep at the wheel” when he ignored pleas to phone his Afghan counterpart to help the translators.

He is said to have delegated junior minister Lord Goldsmith to make the important call - but it emerged yesterday that no call was made as events spiralled out of control.

One hotel guest said he saw the top Tory on the beach between 11.30am and 3.30pm local time on Sunday as the Taliban moved into the Afghan capital.

The tripper - who asked not to be named - said he saw Mr Raab swimming, running and washing sand off his legs as Britain’s biggest foreign policy calamity in decades unfolded.

They added: “There was one point when I saw him using his mobile phone.

A view of the luxury villas in the Amirandes Beach Resort where the Foreign Secretary spent his holiday


“It looked like he was checking messages or texts as he was sitting on his lounger. But, I didn’t see him on the telephone talking.”

A Foreign Office source disputed the witness’s account and insisted Mr Raab had spent only limited time on the beach.

It also emerged yesterday that the embattled minister had been on his sun lounger in Crete from August 6 - a week before Kabul’s fall gathered pace.

'Caught off-guard'


Mr Raab has admitted he was “caught off-guard” by the speed of the Taliban advance which he said “’no one saw coming”.

But he insisted he returned to the UK late on Sunday evening “as soon as the situation deteriorated and demanded it”

Mr Raab issued a statement defending his decision not to call Afghan foreign counterpart Hanif Atmara yesterday.

“He said: “On Friday afternoon, August 13 , advice was put to my Private Office recommending a call to the Afghan Foreign Minister.

“This was quickly overtaken by events.

“The call was delegated to a Minister of State because I was prioritising security and capacity at the airport.

“In any event, the Afghan Foreign Minister agreed to take the call, but was unable to because of the rapidly deteriorating situation.”

Taliban fighters stand guard in Kabul after the city fell into chaos

Hundreds of Afghan citizens piled on board a US carrier plane in an attempt to flee the Taliban

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK MPs Criticise Student Loan System as Potentially Mis-Sold to Millions of Borrowers
Policy Groups Propose Bank of England-Backed Solar Loan Scheme for Millions of Homes
UK Health Agency Issues Amber Heat Alerts Across Six Regions as Temperatures Rise
Royal Air Force F-35 Jets Conduct First High North Air Policing Missions From Aircraft Carrier
Major UK Companies Join Government Cybersecurity Pledge Amid Rising Digital Threats
UK Sanctions Russian Operatives Linked to Chemical Weapons Programmes and Poisoning Cases
UK Government Expands Free Breakfast Clubs and Limits School Uniform Costs
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Penalties Under New Environmental Enforcement Rules
UK Universities Warn Funding Cuts Could Damage Skills Pipeline and Economic Growth
NHS Expands Artificial Intelligence Tools to Help Reduce Patient Waiting Lists
NHS Ombudsman Criticises Failures in End-of-Life Communication and Patient Care
NHS Launches Nationwide Vaccination Drive After Rise in Measles Cases
UK Government Introduces New Limits on Foreign-Linked Political Donations
Thames Water Creditors Advance £10 Billion Rescue Plan to Prevent Potential Public Ownership
Andy Burnham Prepares Labour Leadership Platform as Party Faces Post-Starmer Transition
UK Met Office Issues Heatwave Alerts for London and Southern England
Keir Starmer Blocks Earlier World Cup Kick-Off Time for England Match Against Mexico
NHS Digital Transformation and Media Consolidation Highlight UK Policy Priorities
UK Government Pushes Digital Trade Rules to Cut Export Costs for Businesses
Bank of England Plans Leverage Rule Changes to Support Government Bond Market
UK Police Operation Targets Organised Immigration Crime Networks With Hundreds of Arrests
Yvette Cooper Calls for Global AI Rules to Prevent Security Risks
NHS Begins Major AI Expansion Through £10 Billion Digital Investment Programme
UK Government Tightens Rules on Political Donations to Limit Foreign Influence
Keir Starmer Defends UK Defence Spending Plan at NATO Summit in Turkey
Comcast’s Sky Agrees £1.6 Billion Deal to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment Division
Senior NHS Doctors Vote in Favour of Renewed Strike Action Over Pay Dispute
Andy Burnham Set to Succeed Keir Starmer as Labour Leadership Nominations Open
Microsoft Lays Off 4,800 Employees and Xbox Suffers the Hardest Blow
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
Office for National Statistics Updates Historical Investment Data Review to Improve Accuracy
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Highlights Economic Gains From Digital Inclusion
Debate Intensifies Over UK Defence Strategy and Domestic Security Priorities
Report Warns Full Transport Accessibility Could Add £176 Billion to UK Economy Annually
Medicines Regulator Approves First Targeted Treatment for Advanced Merkel Cell Skin Cancer
Government Commits £22 Million to Brighton Seafront Infrastructure Renewal and Transport Safety
National Security Bill Returns to House of Commons Amid Calls to Protect Humanitarian Work
Government Tightens Overseas Political Donation Rules to Strengthen Safeguards Against Foreign Influence
NHS Maternity Reform Expands Central Oversight After Critical National Review
Dover Border Warnings Highlight Post-Brexit Pressure on Cross-Channel Trade
Private Nuclear Consortium Advances £35 Billion Small Reactor Strategy in UK
UK Labour Leadership Signals Shift Toward Reindustrialisation and Regional Power
House of Lords Debates Rail Nationalisation Bill to Create Great British Railways
Scottish Affairs Committee Expands Inquiry Into SNP Financial Conduct
Evri Launches £1.2 Million Defamation Case Against BBC Over Panorama Investigation
Port of Dover Warns of Border Delays as EU Entry-Exit System Looms
Nigel Farage Referred to Standards Watchdog Over Alleged Undeclared Benefits
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over Claimed AI Datacentre Investment After FOI Findings
UK and India Finalise Trade Agreement Rules Ahead of Mid-July Implementation
UK Government Establishes National Maternity Commissioner After Major Review of NHS Care Failures
×