Foreign secretary Dominic Raab 'surprised' by speed of Taliban takeover

Foreign secretary, Dominic Raab has admitted he was left "surprised" by the speed with which the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.

Over the past week, Raab was on holiday abroad while the situation in Afghanistan was unravelling.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Mr Raab was returning to the UK on Sunday and was “personally overseeing” the department’s response to the crisis.

Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said that Raab’s absence during a moment of major international upheaval was unacceptable.

A further 200 UK troops are to be sent to Kabul to evacuate British citizens and local allies.