Tobias Ellwood rebuked: Minister clear that fall of Afghanistan was ‘a tragedy’

During the statement today from veterans minister Johnny Mercer, Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith rebuked his colleague and defence committee chair Tobias Ellwood over his comments on the progress Afghanistan has made under the Taliban.

Sir Iain said: “Has he seen the remarks of the member, our colleague, the member for Bournemouth East [Tobias Ellwood] in Afghanistan, in which he has referred to Afghanistan as ‘peaceful and stable’, and that we should welcome all of this”.

The minister responded: “I am clear, as is the government, the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban was a tragedy of epic human proportions. I fought the Taliban myself. The Taliban murdered my friends”.