AN MP has described the dramatic fall of Afghanistan’s western-backed government to the Taliban as “horrifying”.

Peter Kyle says the fall of the country’s capital city Kabul means Afghans will have their freedoms to “live, learn, think and love” taken away.

Triumphant Taliban fighters were pictured in the Presidential palace abandoned by President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country while his forces gave up the city without a fight.

In a tweet, the Labour MP for Hove and Portslade wrote: “It’s horrifying to see the forces of fascism – that is what the Taliban are – sweep across Afghanistan, rolling back freedoms to live, learn, think and love with every step.

“We’ve failed the people of Afghanistan before and it’s hard not to think we’re doing so again now.”

Labour has called on the Government to “live up to our obligations” to the Afghan people in a letter to The Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The Argus: Members of Joint Forces Headquarters deploying to Afghanistan to assist in the drawdown of troops from the area (LPhot Ben Shread/MoD/Crown Copyright/PA)Members of Joint Forces Headquarters deploying to Afghanistan to assist in the drawdown of troops from the area (LPhot Ben Shread/MoD/Crown Copyright/PA)

Following a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergencies committee on Sunday, Boris Johnson said his priority was to get UK nationals and Afghans who had worked with them out of the country “as fast as we can”.

Around 4,000 British nationals and eligible Afghans are thought to be in the city and in need of evacuation.

In a sign of the desperate situation, the British ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow was said to be helping the small team of diplomats still in the country to process the applications of those hoping to leave.

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas has described the images of people trying to flee the country as “deeply worrying” and called for asylum applications to be prioritised.

In a tweet, Ms Lucas wrote: “Deeply worrying scenes in Kabul as people desperately try to flee.

“I’m glad government now wants to help interpreters leave. But it shouldn’t have left it so late.

“Asylum must also be offered to other who worked with Western forces. No one should be abandoned.”

British troops are racing against the clock to get remaining UK nationals and their local allies out of Afghanistan following the dramatic fall of the country’s western-backed government to the Taliban.

Lead elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade were working with US forces to secure Kabul airport to ensure flights can continue as Afghans and foreigners alike scramble to leave.

While the airport has so far not come under attack, there are fears that could change quickly with Taliban insurgents now effectively in control of the capital.

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