Politics Live
5:00pm – And that’s all from us!
Enjoy the bank holiday and join us on Tuesday for more news and updates.
4:02pm – Only one bomber
The Pentagon says that there was in fact one suicide bomber yesterday, not two.
The bomber was at Abbey Gate but there was not a second bomber at the Baron Hotel.
2:55pm – ‘Unprecedented’ numbers moving across border to Pakistan
An “unprecedented” number of people are fleeing Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan according to official border control.
Pakistan have said they will not accept any Afghan refugees, but the border between the two countries has remained open.
1:13pm – Kabul death tolls exceeds 100
Numerous outlets are now reporting that the death toll from the two explosions in Kabul airport has reached 100.
12:10pm – Starmer responds to Afghanistan situation
Keir Starmer has responded to the news from Kabul saying: “The British Govt must take its fair share of the responsibility and has serious questions to answer about how, despite having 18 months to prepare, their failure to plan and inability to influence others has contributed to this tragic political failure”.
11:40am – Around 1,000 Afghans ‘didn’t make it through’
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has admitted that around 1,000 Afghans who qualified for evacuation “didn’t make it through”.
He also told Sky News that the main processing at Kabul airport has now closed and there is only a “matter of hours” left to evacuate those remaining in Afghanistan.
10:45am – Scotland could hold second referendum
Scotland Secretary Alister Jack has suggested that Scotland could hold a second referendum if 60% of Scots consistently support principle of a fresh vote.
Boris Johnson has consistently rebuffed calls for indyref2 but this could embolden the SNP to try again.
However 60% is some way off. In the most recent polling, Scots were split by 42% to 40% in favour of holding a referendum in the next five years.
9:50am – UK begins withdrawing troops
The UK has started pulling its remaining troops out of Afghanistan, following a temporary increase in numbers to help with the evacuation effort.
A defence source confirmed to Sky News that roughly 100 out of the 1,000+ UK military personnel at Kabul Airport have now left the country.
9:05am – UK evacuation to end in “a matter of hours”
UK defence secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed that the UK evacuation effort will end in “a matter of hours”.
Thousands of people who worked for the British government are expected to be left behind.
12,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far.
8:50am – British embassy left details of Afghan staff
The Times have revealed that the British embassy left behind details of their Afghan staff that has been seized by the Taliban.
Foreign Office staff left contact details as well as the CVs of locals applying for jobs scattered on the ground, identifying several people and putting their families at risk.
8:30am – Today’s main headlines
- Unknown number dead after bombers target Kabul airport
- UK enters final stage of evacuation effort
- Biden says: “We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”
8:15am – This morning’s newspaper front pages
Every single paper focused on the bombing attacks at Kabul airport. Here are the headlines:
- Metro: Bloodbath at Kabul airport
- The Daily Telegraph: Twelve US troops die in Kabul blasts
- Financial Times: Dozens feared killed in wave of explosions at Kabul airport
- The Guardian: Carnage in Kabul: dozens killed in airport bombing
- The Sun: Hell on earth
8:00am – Welcome back to another day of Politics Live!
