Skip to main content
Regional secretary with the National Education Union
The Afghan war ended as it began, shamefully
By Diane Abbott

THE Commons was recalled a few days ago to debate the withdrawal from Afghanistan.  

But, as some MPs implied, there is little point in debates such as this if the real bedrock of the British foreign and military policy is that this country will simply do whatever the US tells it.

From beginning to end the entire Afghan war morally and politically indefensible. Just 17 MPs opposed it at the time, and I am proud to say I was one of them, alongside Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru) who are still sitting MPs.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Traji Adwan (centre) mourns during the funeral of her 11-year-old grandchild Qais, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza that has been used as a shelter, at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, July 25, 2025
Features / 26 July 2025
26 July 2025

Our Foreign Secretary now condemns Israel in the Commons, yet Britain still supplies weapons and intelligence for its bombing campaigns — as the horror reaches perhaps the final stage, action must finally replace words, writes DIANE ABBOTT MP

cuts and war
Features / 12 July 2025
12 July 2025

The BBC and OBR claim that failing to cut disability benefits could ‘destabilise the economy’ while ignoring the spendthrift approach to tens of billions on military spending that really spirals out of control, argues DIANE ABBOTT MP

President Donald Trump gestures during a press conference after the plenary session at the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025
Features / 28 June 2025
28 June 2025

Europe is acquiescing in Trump’s manoeuvrings — where Europe takes over the US forever war in Ukraine while Washington gets ready for a future fight with China. And it’s working people who will be left paying the price, says DIANE ABBOTT MP

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer speaking during a press conference on the Immigration White Paper, May 12, 2025
Politics / 31 May 2025
31 May 2025

DIANE ABBOTT MP argues that Labour’s proposals contained in the recent white paper won’t actually bring down immigration numbers or win support from Reform voters — but they will succeed in making politics more nasty and poisonous 
 

Similar stories
ILLEGAL FROM THE START: British commandos in the south east region of Afghanistan, May 2002
Features / 20 June 2025
20 June 2025

As the cover-ups collapse, IAN SINCLAIR looks at the shocking testimony from British forces who would ‘go in and shoot everyone sleeping there’ during night raids — illegal, systematic murder spawned by an illegal invasion 
 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking at a press conference w
Features / 22 February 2025
22 February 2025
Dangerous and delusional military posturing on the world stage does not serve the interests of the public among the European powers, nor the people of Ukraine, writes DIANE ABBOTT
HISTORY LESSON: Taliban members celebrating on the anniversa
BOOKS / 1 November 2024
1 November 2024
WILL PODMORE recommends a book that spells out the ultimate futility of imperialist wars
QUO VADIS: Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaving Downing Str
Features / 2 August 2024
2 August 2024
KENNY COYLE takes a look at David Lammy’s emerging foreign policy, dubbed ‘progressive realism,’ which supposedly draws inspiration from Ernest Bevin and Robin Cook