Westbury MP Andrew Murrison has returned from a weekend visit to troops in Afghanistan bursting with admiration for servicemen and women.

The MP and Shadow Defence Minister’s visit came after a particularly bad week during which there had been a number of casualties.

Dr Murrison received briefings from commanders, spoke with soldiers, sailors and airmen, toured the principal base Camp Bastion, visited the military hospital, spoke with senior Afghan National Army officers and got to grips with military vehicles and aircraft involved in current operations.

He said: “I came away truly humbled by the professionalism of our people, by their grit and their determination to get the job done. The price they are paying is substantial and the stakes for all of us are very high indeed.

“Although very different countries, I fear that our military has been let down in both theatres by an abject failure on the part of politicians to apply sufficient development and state-building effort without which there will be no resolution.

“Ministers must take full responsibility for what’s going on and I fear that the story of recent conflicts has been one of military lions being led by political donkeys."