Tobias Ellwood resigns as defence committee chair after video praising Taliban

A Tory MP has quit as the chair of the House of Commons defence committee after he was criticised for a video in which he appeared to praise the Taliban.

Tobias Ellwood came under fire in July after he said Afghanistan had been “transformed” under the repressive regime’s rule.

The ex-defence minister later admitted he had “got it wrong”, but the resulting outcry left him facing a vote of no confidence in his leadership of the influential committee.

In a resignation statement, he said “poor communications” about engagement with Afghanistan had been “understandably criticised” and said he would step down with “deep regret”.

A former soldier Mr Ellwood hit the headlines in 2017 when he fought to save the life of PC Keith Palmer during a terror attack on Westminster.

But he faced a backlash after releasing a video in which he also said that corruption was “down” since the fundamentalists returned to power in 2021.

One member of the committee described Mr Ellwood’s claims as “utterly bizarre”, accusing him of “lauding the Taliban’s management” of Afghanistan.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith described the intervention as “not a very welcome statement” in light of the ongoing persecution in the country.

And the veterans minister Johnny Mercer said it was “clear” that the Taliban remained a “serious threat” to human rights.

Fellow Tory MPs, Mark Francois and Richard Drax, had joined Labour’s Kevan Jones and Derek Twigg in submitting the motion of no confidence.

In a statement, Mr Ellwood said: “It is with deep regret that I have tendered my resignation as chair of the defence committee. I believe I have a strong voice when it comes to defence and security. I stand up, speak my mind, try to see the bigger picture and offer solutions, especially on the international stage, as our world turns a dangerous corner.

“I don't always get it right – so it's right I put my hand up when I don't. Poor communications, during the summer, in calling for greater international engagement in Afghanistan was understandably criticised at the time and reflected poorly on the committee. Whilst I do believe I retain the support of the majority of the committee, its dynamic and effectiveness would simply not be the same, and prove a distraction, if all in the room were not supportive of the chair.”