MPs support keeping troops in afghanistan after historic commons debate

The historic vote came at the end of the first full day’s debate in the Commons on Britain’s armed forces in the war-torn country.

MPs voted by 310 to 14, majority 296 to back the motion: “That this House supports the continued deployment of UK armed forces in Afghanistan.”

The debate, which comes at a time of continuing violence and deadly attacks against British soldiers, heard criticism of the timetable set by the Government to withdraw combat troops by 2015.

Britain currently has around 10,000 troops in the country and 334 have been killed since 2001, with 89 deaths so far this year.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the process of withdrawing combat troops was “about phasing out not walking out”. He said: “What is clear to me, it was clear to the previous government, and what must be clear to our allies in Isaf too is that any drawdown in force levels, as responsibility is transferred to the Afghans, must be done in a coherent way by the alliance.

“This must be done as the international coalition, not as individual nations.

“This is about phasing out not walking out.”

Earlier, Ministers were urged to launch an investigation after a Yorkshire MP discovered most of the equipment for British troops is made abroad.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins urged the Defence Secretary to investigate after discovering that battlefield clothing, socks, combat footwear and waterproof garments are manufactured by companies in China, Lithuania, Germany, Romania, Tunisia and the Czech Republic.