Tobias Ellwood , a prominent Conservative MP issued an apology and removed a video in which he praised the Taliban, crediting them with improving safety in Afghanistan. Tobias Ellwood expressed regret for his poor communication after facing backlash from fellow Tory MPs and military veterans. There were attempts to challenge his position as chair of the Commons defence select committee. In the video, Ellwood described Afghanistan as a transformed country, highlighting the group’s takeover in August 2021 and claiming significant improvements in security, reduced corruption, and a decline in the opium trade.
Following the backlash, Ellwood said: “The last couple of days have probably been the most miserable as a member of parliament,” adding: “I got it wrong.”
He called the row a Twitter “storm” and said he stood by criticisms in the video about Britain’s lack of engagement with Afghanistan’s new leadership since the chaotic exit of western countries’ armed forces from Kabul nearly two years ago.
But Ellwood used a TV interview to repeatedly apologise, and said the video “could have been much better done”.
“It’s important to put your hand up and acknowledge errors, however well intentioned,” the Bournemouth East MP and former army captain told TalkTV.
Ellwood, while on a trip to India with the defence select committee, deleted the video and issued a statement expressing remorse for his reflections on Afghanistan under Taliban rule. He acknowledged that he could have chosen his words better and that others had taken them out of context.
“wish you were here”
Some critics likened the video to a “wish you were here” vibe, featuring uplifting music, and understood its purpose to be highlighting his efforts to advocate for the reopening of Britain‘s embassy in Afghanistan.
During his visit to Afghanistan with the Halo Trust, a charity that clears landmines from former war zones, Ellwood revealed his deep personal connection to the country, having lost his brother in the 2002 Bali terrorist bombing.
“During my visit last week, I witnessed something I did not expect to see – an eerie calm and a visible change in security, corruption and opium growth which I felt obliged to report,” he said in the statement.
“But I also saw a very vulnerable economy that will soon collapse without international intervention, turning this country into a failed state, with terrorist camps no doubt returning and triggering mass migration.”
In the statement, Ellwood responded to criticism for glossing over the erosion of women’s and girls’ rights under the Taliban, acknowledging that he had personally witnessed the “increasing restrictions” they faced.
