London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Boris Johnson struggles to justify Afghanistan stance to hostile MPs

Boris Johnson struggles to justify Afghanistan stance to hostile MPs

Analysis: PM fails to make convincing defence of foreign policy amid criticism from across the Commons

Other leaders have had the luxury of being able to deliver an uninterrupted televised address. But Boris Johnson had to justify the ignominious retreat from Afghanistan in front of a testy, and at times hostile, House of Commons – dominated by critics from his own side asking if Britain could have been better prepared and if the collapse of the Kabul government could have been averted.

It was an occasion the UK prime minister struggled to rise to, not helped by the format that Downing Street had opted for: a general debate, which meant MPs were allowed to rise and seek to intervene as Johnson spoke, generating a crescendo of background noise after he had completed a line or two.

After two minutes the prime minister was refusing – again – to agree to a public inquiry in response to an intervention from Tobias Ellwood, the chair of the defence select committee, rather than develop his own argument.

“I believe most of the key questions have already been extensively gone into,” he said, setting aside the fundamental misjudgment of the strength of the former Afghan army.

In such circumstances it was difficult to strike a note of remembrance, for the efforts made by the Afghan people and the British military in trying to build a different kind of society following the ousting of the Taliban in 2001. “The sacrifice in Afghanistan is seared into our national consciousness,” he told MPs, but the sentiment was lost in the intensity of the Commons chamber.

An attempt to cite the improvements over the last 20 years – “now 3.6 million girls have been in school this year alone, and women hold over a quarter of the seats in Afghanistan’s parliament” – was similarly greeted with criticism, with Britain’s MPs focused on the crisis of the moment: what could happen next in a country where there is genuine concern for women’s rights and political freedom.

Even the Taliban were surprised by the speed of their takeover, Johnson argued, before switching tack to say that, actually, the outcome had been to some extent foreseen. “It was certainly part of our planning,” the prime minister said, because it had been decided to set up an emergency handling centre at Kabul airport “two weeks ago” – a rather weak argument, and in any event actions insufficient to avert the chaotic scenes of Monday, when people ran in front of and hung on to planes.

But there was no attempt to follow the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who earlier this week emphasised the security threat from a Taliban-led Afghanistan, and who promised a “robust, coordinated and united” response to prevent Afghan migrants heading west.

Johnson instead promised to take 20,000 Afghan refugees and even held out a diplomatic olive branch to Kabul’s new masters: “We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes – and by its actions rather than by its words.”

Nor did he follow Joe Biden, who even blamed Afghans for failing to defend their fragile democracy in his televised speech this week. The prime minister reminded MPs that 69,000 soldiers from the country’s army had “given their lives” over 20 years. He focused on Biden’s decision to pull out, saying: “The west could not continue this US-led mission – a mission conceived and executed in support and defence of America – without American logistics, without US air power and without American might.”

It was an attempt to demonstrate there was, ultimately, no alternative, an argument which might have gone unchallenged for longer had not his predecessor, Theresa May, immediately stood up and asked what attempt Johnson had made “of putting together an alliance of other forces in order to replace American support in Afghanistan” within Nato.

‘Where is global Britain on streets of Kabul?’: Theresa May blasts UK failure in Afghanistan


At first Johnson sought to deflect – he had spoke to Nato’s chief “only the other day” – before he cut to the essential point: “I do not believe that today deploying tens of thousands of British troops to fight the Taliban is an option that, no matter how sincerely people may advocate it – and I appreciate their sincerity – would commend itself either to the British people or to this house.” Just like Biden, Johnson’s argument was that, in reality, the UK has no desire to commit to an endless fight.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×