20 July 2023 , 12:44
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A senior Tory MP faces being ousted as Commons Defence Committee chairman after he posted a video appearing to praise the Taliban.
Ex-Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood triggered fury from fellow Tories with the clip where he credited the authoritarian regime with improving security in Afghanistan.
The former Army captain has since apologised and deleted the clip, which was praised by the Taliban. But members of the Defence Committee have submitted a no-confidence motion in an attempt to remove him as chairman.
In the video filmed in Helmand province, Mr Ellwood claimed that security in Afghanistan has "vastly improved" and "corruption is down" since the fundamentalists returned to power in 2021 as the West removed its troops.
He called for Britain to reopen its embassy in Kabul, following on from the European Union re-establishing a physical presence there last year. The Taliban have limited women's freedoms, with bans on girls' education and limits on women's ability to work.
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Tory MPs Mark Francois and Richard Drax, along with Labour's Kevan Jones and Derek Twigg, submitted a no confidence motion in Mr Ellwood's leadership on Wednesday.
Taliban fighters stormed to power as Western troops pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)Mr Jones said: "I support this motion because it is not the first time the chairman has made comments which are at odds with the committee. His latest video is a step too far."
The Taliban praised Mr Ellwood's "positive" report, which the MP has now removed from Twitter.
In a statement, Mr Ellwood, whose brother was killed by Islamist extremists, said: "I've always believed politics includes looking over the horizon, and daring to explore viable, long term solutions - no matter how challenging the problem.
"But with that comes a duty to put your hand up when you get it wrong - as I did in reporting my recent Afghan visit."
The Bournemouth East MP said he witnessed the "increasing restrictions on women and girls" while in Afghanistan but argued that the crackdown on female liberties indicated "our current strategy, of shouting from afar, after abruptly abandoning the country in 2021, is not working".
He said the "awkward truth" for the UK and its allies was that they "chose to cede power to the Taliban" and stated that there were were "no easy choices" when it came to assisting the country's 40 million people.
"Again, I am sorry for my wording and hope this places my thinking into context," he said.
Mr Sunak's official spokesman said it was "not an assessment that the UK nor the Prime Minister agrees with at all".
Asked whether Mr Ellwood was fit to lead the Defence Committee after making the remarks, Mr Sunak's spokesman said: "I think that is first and foremost a decision for parliamentarians themselves and not one for the Prime Minister to seek to influence."
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The motion will be debated after the summer recess ends in September.
Tom Hayes, who is standing as the Labour candidate in Mr Ellwood’s Bournemouth East constituency, said: “Britain is a country that champions civil and political rights, especially for women and girls, but with this video he has undermined our reputation around the world.”
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