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KABUL – In a surprising turn of events, Tobias Ellwood has stepped down from his position as the chairman of the UK’s House of Commons defense select committee. This decision comes in the wake of a heated backlash from fellow committee members following his call for British engagement with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
A close source within the committee has confirmed the numerous reports surrounding Ellwood’s resignation, which occurred as he faced a looming motion of no-confidence from committee members. This role holds immense significance in the scrutiny of British defense policy.
The controversy erupted after Ellwood, a former defense minister, shared a video from his trip to Afghanistan, advocating for engagement with the Taliban. The group had regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 after years of U.S. and U.K. involvement in the region.
In the video, Ellwood argued that “Security has vastly improved, corruption is down, and the opium trade has all but disappeared.” However, the video, which was disseminated by the Taliban on social media, received substantial criticism from fellow Members of Parliament (MPs).
During a July House of Commons Afghan resettlement update, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith expressed his concerns, stating, “Does the Minister agree that it is not a very welcome statement to have made given the terrible time that those women have had and the persecutions that have taken place in Afghanistan?”
This controversy led to Ellwood facing a motion of no-confidence, which was put forward by four fellow committee members, including Conservative MPs Mark Francois and Richard Drax, as well as Labour MPs Kevan Jones and Derek Twigg. Kevan Jones commented at the time, telling Sky News, “This is not the first time that Tobias Ellwood has made statements which don’t reflect the committee’s stance. This one is beyond the pale.”
During a House of Commons session in July, Mark Francois highlighted that Ellwood’s video failed to mention critical issues, such as the Taliban’s ongoing efforts to identify and harm Afghan citizens who assisted the armed forces and the lack of educational rights for young girls in Afghanistan.
In response to the significant backlash from fellow MPs, Ellwood issued an apology for the video, which has since been deleted from social media platforms.
