'Dramatically complacent' government damaging UK's place on world stage, Ex-NATO chief

22 August 2021, 11:43 | Updated: 22 August 2021, 13:53

Former NATO Sec-Gen hits out against gov response to Afghanistan

The former Secretary General of NATO claims Britain has been 'sound asleep' during the Afghanistan current crisis, damaging 'Global Britain'.

Andrew Castle was reflecting on the speed with which America announced a withdrawal from Afghanistan without considering the other NATO troops on the ground.

"It seems they hardly know who we are, they hardly consult us on these sorts of matters," Andrew put to former NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson.

"So much for the special relationship," he said.

Lord Robertson argued that complacency and inaction from the UK government is at the root of why the US didn't consult with Downing Street.

"Our government seems to have been asleep on the job. Our Foreign Secretary has been on holiday and doesn't come back until after Kabul has fallen, the Prime Minister went away on holiday as the dominoes were falling throughout Afghanistan.

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"The junior minister who is responsible for Afghanistan was away as well" he added.

Lord Robertson suggested that such "dramatic complacency will not help us with the people in Washington who are working day and night on this debacle.

"We've got to now look very carefully at our place in the world," he warned Andrew.

"We seem to have broken the intimate links with the United States of America. Where does Britain go with a complacent, sound asleep government? It doesn't look very good, does it?"