UK needs to engage with Taliban given ‘new reality in Afghanistan’, says Raab
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has highlighted the importance of engaging with the Taliban as he acknowledged the need “to face up to the new reality in Afghanistan”.
While not recognising the militant group as the government in Kabul, the cabinet minister pointed to the necessity of having “a direct line of communication” to discuss a range of pressing issues, including the safe passage of remaining British citizens and Afghan allies.
Speaking during a visit to Pakistan, Mr Raab said it would not have been possible to evacuate some 15,000 people without some degree of cooperation with the Taliban, who seized power after the withdrawal of US forces, ending a 20-year military intervention.
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What weapons were left behind in Afghanistan?
He told a news conference: “We need to face up to the new reality in Afghanistan.”
Pointing to the appointment of a new chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan based in Doha, Qatar, the foreign secretary said: “The approach that we are taking is we don’t recognise the Taliban as a government… but we do see the importance of being able to engage and have a direct line of communication.
“The reason being is clearly there are a whole range of issues that need to be discussed, including first and foremost at the moment the question of safe passage of British nationals and the Afghans who worked for the UK government.
“We need to be able to convey direct messages on these things. We need to be able to have that dialogue.”
He added: “The Taliban has made a series of undertakings. Some of them are positive at the level of words, but we need to test them and see that they translate into deeds. We cannot do that unless we have at least some channel of dialogue.”
Mr Raab said the Taliban need to create a “safe and secure environment” to allow aid to reach people in Afghanistan.
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Taliban’s mock funeral for Western nations
He said: “No-one wants to see the economic and social fabric of Afghanistan collapse, I can’t see how that would be in the interest of the Taliban let alone ordinary Afghans, we certainly don’t want to see that happen
“We would be willing not to fund aid via the Taliban, but through the humanitarian organisations that operate inside Afghanistan – for that to happen there needs to be a safe and secure environment, so that’s an early test for the Taliban.
“But we’re willing to make sure we do our bit, along with the national community to fund the humanitarian agencies, the lifeline for ordinary Afghans, but there needs to be a safe environment for that.
“We’ll also support those regional partners, particularly like Pakistan who I can imagine is very concerned about the risk of numbers coming across the border, we want to make sure we can support those partners in the region [to] deal with that.
“That’s the holistic approach, the strategic approach we are taking.”
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UK thought Kabul would not fall in 2021
Mr Raab, who has faced criticism over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis, also insisted there was “common widespread surprise”, even among the Taliban, at the speed in which they had taken over Afghanistan.
He said: “The takeover I think it’s fair to say was faster than anyone anticipated, not just the United Kingdom or NATO allies, but I was talking with our friends here.
“And I suspect the Taliban and ordinary Afghans were taken by surprise.
“I think there was a common widespread surprise at the speed with which the consolidation of power happened.”
Mr Raab’s comments came as the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee launched an inquiry into the chaotic retreat from Afghanistan.
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Taliban celebrates as last US troops leave Kabul
Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat said: “The fall of Kabul is a catastrophe for the Afghan people and for the reputation of those nations that were committed to its success.
“Our hasty withdrawal leaves a country in an acute humanitarian and human rights crisis.
“The Afghan people, who we worked alongside for many years, have been left at the mercy of the Taliban, a vicious fundamentalist group.”
He said that “big questions remain” and the inquiry aimed to provide “some much-needed clarity”.
“Lessons need to be learnt and the decisions the UK makes in the coming months will be crucial,” he added.
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Sir Keir Starmer has apologised to his health secretary after allies of the prime minister accused him of plotting a coup.
Sky News understands Sir Keir spoke briefly to Wes Streeting on Wednesday evening, though did not share details about the briefing campaign.
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Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier in the day, he denied authorising the attacks on Mr Streeting, who was accused of planning a leadership challenge after the budget later this month.
Mr Streeting said the allegations are “not true”, telling Sky News’ Mornings With Ridge And Frost that whoever was behind the briefings had been “watching too much Celebrity Traitors”.
He insisted he was loyal to the prime minister, who has been under mounting pressure as he and the Labour Party flounder behind Reform in the polls.
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Health secretary insists he’s ‘a faithful’
Downing Street went on the attack on Tuesday night to ward off any potential challenge to Sir Keir after the budget, which could see the government announce manifesto-breaking tax rises.
Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves have refused to rule out raising income tax, national insurance, or VAT.
One senior figure told Sky News political editor Beth Rigby while a post-budget challenge is unlikely, it could come if next May’s elections – including in London and Wales – go badly for Labour.
Labour face a challenge from Reform on the right and parties like the Greens and Plaid Cymru on the left.
Read more: How No 10 plunged itself into crisis
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Starmer backs Streeting at PMQs
Also under pressure is the prime minister’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, after Mr Streeting hit out at a “toxic culture” inside Number 10.
Sir Keir failed to say he had “full confidence” in him at PMQs in response to questions from Kemi Badenoch, but the prime minister’s political spokesperson later insisted to journalists that he does retain his backing.
Sky News understands Mr McSweeney was not discussed when Sir Keir and Mr Streeting spoke last night.
Labour chairwoman Anna Turley said the prime minister will investigate the source of the claims against the health secretary, telling ITV: “This is not what he wants to see and he’s determined to drive it out.”
US President Donald Trump has signed off on a funding bill passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, officially bringing an end to the record 43-day government shutdown.
The funding bill went through the Senate on Monday and passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday, with Trump signing the bill just hours later to get the government back up and running.
Healthcare funding was one of the sticking points that halted the bill, with Democrats pushing to increase support, while Republicans sought to address the issue after the bill had passed.
After signing the bill, President Trump indicated that he may be willing to work with the Democrats to iron out these issues.
“I’m always willing to work with anyone, including the other party,” Trump said, adding:
“We’ll work on something having to do with health care. We can do a lot better.”
The latest shutdown, which has become an almost annual affair, was the longest on record at 43 days.
The bill itself enables funding to support government operations until Jan. 30, and gives more time for Democrats and Republicans to strike a deal for broader funding plans across 2026.
What does it mean for crypto
The reopening of the government will see staff return to crypto-related agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Crypto ETF issuers have been waiting for the SEC to approve a host of potential spot-crypto exchange-traded fund applications. Meanwhile, the CFTC has already pushed forward with plans for a Nov. 19 confirmation hearing of Mike Selig, Trump’s top pick to head the agency.
Related: SEC chair pledges no ‘lax enforcement’ on crypto under market structure
The Treasury should now also be positioned to sift through public feedback on the stablecoin-focused GENIUS Act, which was compiled between early October and the start of November.
Despite this, the crypto markets have responded flatly to the end of the government shutdown, with Bitcoin price action being minimal.
In past instances, the resumption of the US government has led to major rallies.
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The longest US government shutdown on record is finally set to conclude, with the House of Representatives voting through a contested funding bill on Wednesday.
The bill is now headed to US President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it Wednesday night.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers staunchly debated the bill in the House of Representatives, ahead of a final vote that ultimately ended in favor of the bill, with 222 votes in favor and 209 against.
According to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, US President Donald Trump has already indicated that he will sign the bill, which would officially end the shutdown. The BBC reports that Trump plans to sign the bill at 9:45 pm local time during a private dinner with business leaders.
“The Administration urges every Member of Congress to support this responsible, good faith product to finally put an end to the longest shutdown in history,” the statement read.
Related: SEC chair pledges no ‘lax enforcement’ on crypto under market structure
The funding bill would cover most of the government’s expenses through to the end of January next year.
The bill saw neither side of the political aisle willing to budge. Democrats were pushing to halt the bill, demanding more funding for healthcare and the cost-of-living crisis. Republicans were not willing to address these concerns in the bill, instead calling for the government to reopen and promising to address these issues afterward.
The government shutdown has halted the progress of crypto bills and also left a significant number of spot-crypto exchange-traded fund applications sitting on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s desk.
Meanwhile, other bills — such as the comprehensive market structure bill — that have made some progress even during the shutdown, will now be able to gain more traction.
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