Kingston MP Ed Davey called Prime Minister Boris Johnson "a national liability" in a heated Parliamentary debate yesterday (18 August).

The Liberal Democrat leader, who represents Surbiton and Kingston, condemned the Prime Minister for his lack of planning and influence in US politics in the Parliamentary session on Afghanistan.

He said that Johnson and his cabinet "cannot escape their culpability for this disaster" following the events of the weekend in which the Taliban took control of the country weeks before coalition forces were due to officially withdraw.

Davey said: "The Prime Minister appears to have had no understanding of the security and defence situation in Afghanistan as recently as last month.

"Despite being warned in this House and elsewhere that the Taliban would move rapidly on Kabul, his failures, along with President Biden's, have led directly to the crisis that is unfolding before our eyes.

"Afghans who have risked everything to help our soldiers and aid workers are now desperate for our help to escape.

"Refugees are fleeing in fear of their lives. Women and girls are seeing their futures stolen.

"Last night's announcement that the Government are willing to take only 5,000 refugees in the next year utterly fails to respond to this crisis or to meet our obligations to so many Afghans."

He concluded: "Despite the Government's having 18 months to prepare, they have not prepared a counter-terrorism strategy with our allies.

"I guess that that is why this Prime Minister will not ever be able to look the families of the fallen in the eye."

Johnson defended his policy in his opening statements to the House of Commons.

He said: "Our priority now must be to work alongside our Afghan and other partners to preserve those vital gains and the legacy of what has been achieved."

But, he added: "No one should doubt the gains of the past 20 years, but nor can we shrink from the hard reality of the situation today.

"The international military presence in Afghanistan was never intended to be permanent.

"We and our NATO allies were always going to withdraw our forces. The only question was when, and there could never be a perfect moment."

Click here to read the full debate