Tobias Ellwood, the Tory MP who chaired the defence committee since 2020, has resigned after posting a controversial video on X, the former Twitter platform. The video seemed to commend the Taliban’s leadership in Afghanistan. Politics Hub: Sunak gets a new nickname from Starmer, Number 10 reacts

Some members of the cross-party committee lost confidence in him and planned to vote him out by this Thursday. But he stepped down on Wednesday before that could happen, a source told Sky News.

Mr. Ellwood said he quit with “deep regret” and was proud of the committee’s work.

He added: “I have a strong voice on defense and security. I stand up, speak my mind, see the bigger picture and offer solutions, especially on the international stage, as our world becomes more dangerous.”

Tobias Ellwood, the Tory MP who chaired the defence committee, has resigned after facing criticism for a video he shared on X, the former Twitter platform. The video showed him in Afghanistan, where the Taliban had taken over the country and imposed harsh restrictions on women and girls.

The Tory MP, whose brother was killed by Islamist extremists, said in the video that Afghanistan was “accepting a more authoritarian leadership in exchange for stability”. He also called for the UK to reopen its embassy in Afghanistan and said: “Shouting from afar will not improve women’s rights.” His comments sparked outrage from politicians, human rights campaigners and women’s groups.

Mr. Ellwood apologized and said he could have worded his “reflections” better. But he also defended his call for a more direct strategy to help the people of Afghanistan.

He said: “Our current strategy of shouting from afar, after abruptly abandoning the country in 2021, is not working.” He resigned before a vote of no confidence by some members of the cross-party committee. His successor as the committee chair is not yet known.