Part of the DODS Group DODS Group Logo
Menu
Wed, 22 September 2021

Newsletter sign-up

Subscribe now
Search

Follow us:

Featured
UK, US and Australia Announce New Defence Pact Amid Growing China Concerns
UK, US and Australia Announce New Defence Pact Amid Growing China Concerns
Defence
Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have revealed a new security pact, which will allow the countries to share nuclear submarine secrets at a time of growing concern over China.
Dominic Raab Has Been Appointed Justice Secretary, Lord Chancellor And Deputy Prime Minister
Foreign affairs
Dominic Raab Has Been Appointed Justice Secretary, Lord Chancellor And Deputy Prime Minister
The Northern Ireland Grace Periods Will Be Extended Indefinitely
Brexit
The Northern Ireland Grace Periods Will Be Extended Indefinitely
Boris Johnson Says The UK Is “Working Urgently” To Get People Out Of Afghanistan
Foreign affairs
Boris Johnson Says The UK Is “Working Urgently” To Get People Out Of Afghanistan
Major City Mayors Say They Still Don't Know How Afghan Resettlement Scheme Will Work
Communities
Major City Mayors Say They Still Don't Know How Afghan Resettlement Scheme Will Work
Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Warns US-China Tensions Could Rise After Afghanistan Withdrawal
Foreign affairs
Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Warns US-China Tensions Could Rise After Afghanistan Withdrawal
Dominic Raab Says Britain Must “Adjust To The New Reality” In Afghanistan
Foreign affairs
Dominic Raab Says Britain Must “Adjust To The New Reality” In Afghanistan
The House Live
The global HIV response cannot afford for the UK to step back now
Health
By Baroness Barker
The global HIV response cannot afford for the UK to step back now
Parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements must no longer be an afterthought
Economy
By Lord Goldsmith
Parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements must no longer be an afterthought
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is a vital forum for countries to work together to uphold democracy and human rights
Brexit
By John Howell MP
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is a vital forum for countries to work together to uphold democracy and human rights
Most read
BBC Director General Warns Culture Wars Are 'Dangerous' To Impartial Media
BBC Director General Warns Culture Wars Are "Dangerous" To Impartial Media
Culture
Government Strikes Deal To Reopen Fertiliser Plant Amid CO2 Shortage Crisis
Government Strikes Deal To Reopen Fertiliser Plant Amid CO2 Shortage Crisis
Economy
Boris Johnson Has Promised The Energy Crisis Is 'Short Term' As Government Intervenes In CO2 Shortages
Boris Johnson Has Promised The Energy Crisis Is "Short Term" As Government Intervenes In CO2 Shortages
Economy
Editor's choiceAll
Parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements must no longer be an afterthought
Economy
By Lord Goldsmith
Parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements must no longer be an afterthought
International agreements ought to be subject to at least the same levels of scrutiny as the laws we make in Parliament.
The education of a generation of girls and thwarting of al-Qaeda means Britain's role in Afghanistan was worthwhile
Defence
By Jack Straw
The education of a generation of girls and thwarting of al-Qaeda means Britain's role in Afghanistan was worthwhile
A few months after the mid-November 2001 defeat of the Taliban, I made the first of many trips to this benighted country.
Rory Stewart: “This is about the end of an age of intervention”
Defence
By Georgina Bailey
Rory Stewart: “This is about the end of an age of intervention”
Rory Stewart knows both Afghanistan and the British government well. After four harrowing weeks trying to get Afghans out of the country, he talks to Georgina Bailey about why the West’s failings are wider than just the current crisis
Foreign Affairs news
Don’t be fooled by the Taliban, they will never change
Foreign affairs
By Shabnam Nasimi
Don’t be fooled by the Taliban, they will never change
The Taliban are evil and cruel, but they are not fools, and trying to seem kinder and gentler now, does not mean that they will be any less vengeful when foreign evacuation is complete.
Former Military MP Says UK Has 72 Hours To Avert Humanitarian Catastrophe In Afghanistan
Foreign affairs
Former Military MP Says UK Has 72 Hours To Avert Humanitarian Catastrophe In Afghanistan
The UK must “salvage its reputation” after failing to convince the US to extend the deadline for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan at today’s G7 summit, former soldier and MP Dan Jarvis has said.
Boris Johnson Insists G7 Can Engage With The Taliban After Failing To Persuade US To Extend Withdrawal Deadline
Foreign affairs
Boris Johnson Insists G7 Can Engage With The Taliban After Failing To Persuade US To Extend Withdrawal Deadline
Boris Johnson has said the G7 has a “roadmap” to deal with the Taliban after Joe Biden dismissed a push from the group of leaders to extend the deadline for US troops to leave Afghanistan.
The Taliban want to silence women – we must amplify their voices
Foreign affairs
By Harriet Harman MP
The Taliban want to silence women – we must amplify their voices
The Taliban say they will allow girls to be educated, women to work and be in politics, but there is doubt as whether they can or will keep that promise. The very least we can do is ask these women what help and support they need.
Government Warns Afghanistan Evacuation Will Get 'More Dangerous' As Deadline Nears
Foreign affairs
Government Warns Afghanistan Evacuation Will Get "More Dangerous" As Deadline Nears
Defence secretary Ben Wallace has said an extension to the August 31 evacuation deadline from Afghanistan is "unlikely" as fears of terrorist attacks on the airport heighten.
Tony Blair Says The Decision To Withdraw From Afghanistan Was “Imbecilic” As Seven Die At Airport Scramble
Foreign affairs
Tony Blair Says The Decision To Withdraw From Afghanistan Was “Imbecilic” As Seven Die At Airport Scramble
Tony Blair has heavily criticised the decision the Western military withdrawal from Afghanistan saying it was done “in obedience to an imbecilic political slogan”.
LGBTQ+ People In Afghanistan Must Be Evacuated And Resettled In UK, Government Told
Communities
LGBTQ+ People In Afghanistan Must Be Evacuated And Resettled In UK, Government Told
Pressure is growing on the government to do more to protect LGBTQ+ people in Afghanistan at immediate risk of torture and death under the Taliban regime.
What Does The Chaotic Withdrawal From Afghanistan Mean For ‘Global Britain’?
Defence
What Does The Chaotic Withdrawal From Afghanistan Mean For ‘Global Britain’?
“You make shit decisions, people will die”. That’s the blunt assessment of Johnny Mercer, army veteran and former veterans minister, after a week of recriminations in government over the fallout from the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
Councils must be given the funding they need to support Afghan refugees
Foreign affairs
By Jamie Stone MP
Councils must be given the funding they need to support Afghan refugees
We have a responsibility to provide asylum to anyone trying to escape Afghanistan, but local authorities will need more funding from the government to ensure that they don’t collapse under new pressures.
Raab Says He Was Too Busy Working On The Kabul Airport Evacuation To Phone The Afghan Foreign Minister
Foreign affairs
Raab Says He Was Too Busy Working On The Kabul Airport Evacuation To Phone The Afghan Foreign Minister
Dominic Raab has defended his decision not to phone Afghanistan' Foreign Minister as the Taliban descended on Kabul on Friday, insisting he was focused on other elements of the government response to the crisis in the region.
Time is running out – we must honour our promise to those Afghans who trusted us to save them
Foreign affairs
By Ash Alexander-Cooper
Time is running out – we must honour our promise to those Afghans who trusted us to save them
While the Taliban 2.0 PR machine is certainly slicker than the 1990s version, we must not be seduced by their rhetoric. Already in provinces where TV cameras are no longer rolling, girls have been married off to fighters and turned away from school.
Humanitarian aid will be vital to save and protect lives in Afghanistan
Foreign affairs
By Preet Kaur Gill MP
Humanitarian aid will be vital to save and protect lives in Afghanistan
After so many catastrophic failures of judgement, the Prime Minister cannot allow the Foreign Secretary to continue in his role and must now focus on using every tool that remains at his disposal to ensure no one is left behind.
Defence Secretary Says Taliban Are “Letting Through Our People” To Fly Back From Afghanistan
Foreign affairs
Defence Secretary Says Taliban Are “Letting Through Our People” To Fly Back From Afghanistan
The Taliban are “letting through our people” to fly back to the UK according to defence secretary Ben Wallace, after reports of problems at Kabul airport.
The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme is welcome, but we must expand eligibility for family reunion
Foreign affairs
By Caroline Nokes MP
The Afghan Citizens' Resettlement Scheme is welcome, but we must expand eligibility for family reunion
I very much hope this scheme really will be bespoke, fast and generous. The women of Afghanistan do not have the 6 years to get to safety, they probably don’t have 6 months.
Partner content
Foreign affairs
By Save the Children
Save the Children concerned hunger crisis in Afghanistan will escalate
Save the Children is extremely concerned that a severe hunger crisis facing children in drought-hit Afghanistan will escalate with aid efforts on hold, putting thousands of young lives at risk as the world faces its biggest hunger crisis of the 21st century.
We must work urgently to support the Afghans we have abandoned
Foreign affairs
By Baroness Helic
We must work urgently to support the Afghans we have abandoned
For the vast majority of Afghans, the Taliban conquest will be a cause for grief, pain, and suffering. We must do everything we can to mitigate the damage, with asylum, humanitarian aid, and every bit of diplomatic pressure we can muster.
How The Afghanistan Refugee Scheme Works – Which Charities Say Is Only 'A Start'
Defence
How The Afghanistan Refugee Scheme Works – Which Charities Say Is Only "A Start"
Britain’s leading asylum seeker charities have welcomed the government’s commitment to resettle 20,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban but have urged the Home Office to consider that figure as “just a start”.
Military Veteran MPs Condemn 'Shameful' Afghanistan Crisis Response in Emotional Commons Speeches
Foreign affairs
Military Veteran MPs Condemn "Shameful" Afghanistan Crisis Response in Emotional Commons Speeches
Senior Conservative MP and former soldier Tom Tugendhat has led a cohort of Army veterans now serving in Parliament in scathing criticism of the international community's response to the crisis in Afghanistan.
Government Doubles Aid Spending On Afghanistan, Reversing Controversial Cut
Foreign affairs
Government Doubles Aid Spending On Afghanistan, Reversing Controversial Cut
The government has announced it is doubling aid spending on Afghanistan in anticipation of a humanitarian crisis in the country, after setting out plans to slash it just weeks ago.
Theresa May Says UK's Failure To Support Afghanistan After US Withdrawal is 'Incomprehensible'
Defence
Theresa May Says UK's Failure To Support Afghanistan After US Withdrawal is "Incomprehensible"
Theresa May has launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis and insisted he must face the "consequences" of the Taliban takeover.
Keir Starmer Accuses Government Of 'Appalling Complacency' Over The Fall Of Afghanistan
Foreign affairs
Keir Starmer Accuses Government Of "Appalling Complacency" Over The Fall Of Afghanistan
Keir Starmer has criticised Boris Johnson and foreign secretary Dominic Raab's handling of the response to the fall of Aghanistan to the Taliban for taking holidays and for not speaking to regional ambassadors, leaving the UK unprepared.
Afghanistan will not see a peaceful transition of power – history will judge the West harshly for this failing
Defence
By Tobias Ellwood MP
Afghanistan will not see a peaceful transition of power – history will judge the West harshly for this failing
Afghanistan soldiers have melted away, the once busy streets now form a ghost town. Beauty salons closed, and their advertisements painted over signifying the erasure of a culture that offered female autonomy. There are no jeans or T-shirts being worn – traded for traditional dress.
Boris Johnson Denies UK 'Did Not Foresee' Afghanistan Crisis As MPs Hold Emergency Commons Debate
Foreign affairs
Boris Johnson Denies UK "Did Not Foresee" Afghanistan Crisis As MPs Hold Emergency Commons Debate
Boris Johnson has dismissed criticism that the UK was not prepared for the scale of crisis that has unfolded in Afghanistan after MPs were recalled for an emergency debate on the situation.
Priti Patel Insists UK Cannot Take 20,000 Afghan Refugees 'All In One Go'
Foreign affairs
Priti Patel Insists UK Cannot Take 20,000 Afghan Refugees "All In One Go"
Home Secretary Priti Patel has defended the government scheme for resettling Afghan refugees amid criticism that it is not generous enough, claiming the UK "cannot accommodate 20,000 people all in one go".
EventsAll
Cashless Citizens: Are public sector services reaping the benefits of modern online payments?
2021
Cashless Citizens: Are public sector services reaping the benefits of modern online payments?
Resetting the Skills Agenda
2021
Online
Resetting the Skills Agenda
Women into Leadership London
2021
London & Online
Women into Leadership London
Can pets power health in Europe?
2021
Online
Can pets power health in Europe?