Foreign Office playing catch-up on Afghanistan, says ex-ambassador

Sir Nicholas Kay says he feels shame over collapse to Taliban as he calls for lessons learned inquiry

The former UK ambassador to Afghanistan Sir Nicholas Kay has said the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is playing catch-up with other countries as the Taliban assume power there, as he also became the first senior diplomat to call for a lessons learned inquiry into the collapse of the country into the hands of the militants.

Kay predicted that the UK government would have to pay countries to help transit refugees from Afghanistan to the UK.