Afghan troop withdrawal 'very painful', says MP Mercer

The withdrawal of the majority of British troops from Afghanistan in 2014 was dictated by the calendar and not by conditions on the ground, the Conservative MP Johnny Mercer has said.

Speaking to BBC Hardtalk’s Stephen Sackur, he said for the troops who had served in that country this was “very painful to take”.

Mr Mercer - who completed three tours with the British army in Afghanistan - has campaigned for greater support for troops who may be experiencing poor mental health after seeing first-hand the problems some of them had experienced.