UK has little option but to talk with the Taliban

Analysis: Insurgents' cooperation is needed for evacuations, but PM could face criticism for engaging with them

Boris Johnson's decision to dispatch a senior spy chief to talk directly to the Taliban in Qatar reflects an uncomfortable but necessary reality: the UK has little option but to engage with the insurgent group now in control of Afghanistan.

Thousands of Afghans eligible for resettlement in the UK are believed to remain trapped in the country - UK ministers refuse to say how many - and hundreds of British nationals. With western troops withdrawn, it is only with Taliban cooperation that people will be able to leave safely and smoothly.