Tobias Ellwood: Tory MP criticised over Taliban re-engagement call

A elder Conservative MP has been criticised for saying Afghanistan has been "transformed" nether the Taliban.

In a video posted from the state connected Monday, erstwhile defence curate Tobias Ellwood said corruption was falling and information had "vastly improved".

Fellow Tory Mark Francois called the video "bizarre", whilst erstwhile Tory person Sir Iain Duncan Smith said it was not "welcome".

Downing Street said it disagreed with Mr Ellwood's assessment.

But Mr Ellwood defended his comments, saying stableness successful the state was connected a "different level" than during times of conflict.

In a BBC News interview, helium added that it was clip for the UK to found diplomatic ties with the Taliban alternatively than "shouting from afar".

British diplomatic and embassy unit were withdrawn aft the Taliban's August 2021 takeover of the state aft Western troops pulled out.

Mr Ellwood, who chairs the Commons defence prime committee, tweeted his video during a travel to Helmand state with a landmine clearance charity.

The Bournemouth East MP said Afghanistan was "a state transformed," with star panels starting to look "everywhere" whilst the country's opium commercialized "all but disappeared".

"This war-wary federation is for the infinitesimal accepting a much authoritarian enactment successful speech for stability," helium added, whilst calling for the West to "re-engage" diplomatically.

Reopening the British embassy, helium added, would beryllium a mode to "incrementally" promote "progressive changes" successful areas similar girls' acquisition and rights for pistillate workers.

However, successful the Commons connected Tuesday, Sir Iain said the video was "not a precise invited connection to person made" fixed the "persecutions that person taken spot successful Afghanistan".

Mr Francois, who besides sits connected the defence committee, said the video "made nary notation of the information that the Taliban is inactive attempting to place and termination Afghan citizens who helped our equipped forces, oregon of the information that young girls successful Afghanistan bash not adjacent person the close to spell to school".

Mr Ellwood, whose member was killed by Islamists successful the 2002 Bali bombings, said helium wanted to guarantee coercion does not "flourish" successful Afghanistan.

Speaking to BBC News, helium said helium understood his comments would "cause waves", but helium was pleased helium had "shone a airy connected a state that we ran distant from".

"The existent strategy of america shouting from afar to effort and effect the docket successful Afghanistan is not working," helium said, adding that helium was speaking an "an idiosyncratic MP".

"We request to prosecute much directly, much robustly, and that tin beryllium done if we unfastened up the [British] embassy".