The prime minister and foreign secretary are expected to face criticism from all sides of the House of Commons today, as MPs cut short their summer break to discuss the fallout from the “catastrophic” situation in Afghanistan.
Questions are likely to be wide-ranging, encompassing the failure of intelligence around the speed of the Taliban’s advance, to the chaotic efforts to relocate those who have previously worked with British forces and now face potentially deadly reprisals.
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But the government could also come in for condemnation over the time made available for the debate itself.
One senior Conservative told Sky News there was “a lot of anger” that the session is only scheduled to run for five hours, from 9.30am to 2.30pm – the time frame normally allocated for a shorter sitting on Fridays.
“There is no procedural or other reason why we couldn’t continue until 7pm, and it’s a major misjudgement, it suggests they want to get it out of the way quickly,” the MP said.
MPs have even discussed trying to bring an amendment to extend it, if there is enough support, but this would need to be granted by the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
“It would be a shame if it ended up with a procedural amendment, given the importance of the debate. They want colleagues to let off steam, but if they restrict the timing like this, it could just build up a head of steam.”
Another former minister said contributions would have to be very short. “We are looking at three minutes each, which is not enough time to make a case.”
With coronavirus restrictions now lifted, allowances for virtual contributions from MPs joining proceedings remotely will no longer be possible. All those wishing to speak must attend the chamber in person.
It is not clear how many MPs will make the early return to Westminster, but the most prominent Tory critics of the government’s handling of the situation are expected to be in attendance.
These include the chairman of the Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood, who on Monday demanded the prime minister make an emergency “address to the nation”, and Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
Mr Tugendhat confirmed he would be present in a post on social media, saying: “I hope to be called to speak tomorrow in parliament about the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. There is so much I want to say, so many I will be thinking of it will be hard to know where to begin.”
Former veterans’ minister Johnny Mercer, who completed three tours in Afghanistan as an officer in the British Army, has also confirmed he hopes to speak in the the debate.
He recently told Sky News the situation in the country was a “tragedy”, adding “the way the international community, but particularly the UK and the US, have pulled the rug from the Afghan security forces in this way is humiliating”.
Andrew Mitchell, a Conservative backbencher and former international development secretary who has visited Afghanistan numerous times, will say the UK’s aid contribution over the years made a huge difference and could still be used as “leverage” with the Taliban – with other countries.
“It’s incredibly important that Britain uses its leverage as part of the UN to force an effective relationship with the Taliban based on carrot and stick.”
Labour’s shadow foreign office minister Stephen Kinnock said the debate was “too little, too late” and urged the government ti explain what it intends to do next.
“The danger of Afghanistan reverting to pre-2001 state as the global hub for international terror networks is real and present. What is the government’s plan to bolster our capability, both in Afghanistan and here?”
Kevan Jones, a Labour MP who served as a defence minister during Gordon Brown’s premiership, told Sky News he intends to take the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to task for claiming on Monday that “everyone, I think, has been surprised by the scale and the pace at which the Taliban have taken over in Afghanistan”.
Mr Jones said: “What is astounding is the foreign secretary saying this was all a great surprise. The withdrawal was always going to help the insurgency, and removing air cover was always going to bring that about much more quickly.”
The North Durham MP said that decision had caused “chaos… particularly around those people we owe a debt to in terms of civilians who we have left high and dry”.
Boris Johnson is expected to open the debate at 09.30am, while Dominic Raab will make the concluding speech for the government at 2.30pm.