A senior Tory MP has been accused of spreading “propaganda for the Taliban” after posting a video praising the transformation of Afghanistan since they returned to power.
Tobias Ellwood, who is chair of the defence select committee, said security in the country was “vastly improved”, corruption was reduced and the opium trade had ended over the past two years.
He posted a video setting out his thoughts after visiting Afghanistan with landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust.
Ellwood, a former minister who also served in the Army, said: “This is a very different country indeed - it feels different now since the Taliban have returned to power.”
He said after decades of war, ordinary Afghans were “for the moment, accepting a more authoritarian leadership in exchange for stability”.
Elwood added: “Here in Kabul the streets are relatively safe. The checkpoints have all gone, businesses are re-openi
He said it was now time for the UK to re-open its embassy in Afghanistan in order to “re-engage” in areas such as education for girls, which has been banned under the Taliban.
But Twitter users delivered a damning verdict on Ellwood’s observations.