A senior Tory MP has apologised for posting a video in which he praised the Taliban for bringing “stability” to Afghanistan.
Tobias Ellwood, who is chair of the defence select committee, was accused of spreading “propaganda” for the brutal regime - which returned to power in the country in 2021 - and ignoring the treatment of women and girls there.
In a video posted on Twitter, he said security in the country was “vastly improved”, corruption was reduced and the opium trade had ended over the past two years.
Ellwood, who is also a former minister, was speaking after visiting Afghanistan with the mine clearance charity the Halo Trust.
He 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”.
Ellwood said it was now time for the UK to re-open its embassy in Kabul in order to “re-engage” with the Taliban in areas such as education for girls, which has been banned.
But following a ferocious backlash to his comments - including from Tory MPs - Ellwood has deleted his original tweet and issued a statement saying sorry for his remarks.
He said: “However well-intentioned, reflections of my personal visit could have been better worded. I am sorry for my poor communication.
“I stand up, speak my mind, try to see the bigger picture and offer solutions, especially on the international stage, s our world turns a dangerous corner. I don’t always get it right.”