For some MPs Afghanistan is personal as well as political
The struggles of a group shaped by the conflict
THE FIRST two decades of this century saw the rise of a new type of politician, or perhaps a new version of an old type of politician: young MPs shaped by one of the most difficult environments in the world, Afghanistan. Johnny Mercer, a former commando, gave his maiden speech about a friend who had died in his arms. Several of his new colleagues—Tom Tugendhat and James Heappey on the Conservative benches and Dan Jarvis and Clive Lewis on the Labour ones—had also fought on the ground.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The sun also sets”
Britain August 21st 2021
- Policymakers weigh up the future of Britain’s pandemic state
- Out of lockdown, Britons are discovering other viruses still exist
- The number of young adults in Britain is about to rise sharply
- Scottish nationalism’s oil dilemma
- Boris Johnson promises to take in more Afghan refugees
- For some MPs Afghanistan is personal as well as political
More from Britain
Has the Royal Navy become too timid?
A new paper examines how its culture has changed
A plan to reorganise local government in England runs into opposition
Turkeys vote against Christmas
David Lammy’s plan to shake up Britain’s Foreign Office
Diplomats will be tasked with growing the economy and cutting migration
Britain’s government has spooked markets and riled businesses
Tax rises were inevitable. Such a shaky start was not
Labour’s credibility trap
Who can believe Rachel Reeves?