A NEWPORT MP has claimed the Afghanistan war could be the “worst military blunder in our history since the charge of the Light Brigade” and called for a public inquiry.

Paul Flynn, labour MP for Newport West, asked in the House of Commons today: “Is it not time to initiate an inquiry into the Helmand incursion? In 2006, we were told that we were going in for three years in the hope that not a shot would be fired; at that time, only two British soldiers had been killed in combat. Should we not inquire into the matter, which was possibly the worst military blunder in our history since the charge of the Light Brigade?”

The Afghan conflict officially ended this week as the final UK troops left Camp Bastion in Helmand.

During the 13 year conflict, 452 British servicemen and women lost their lives.

Mr Flynn MP has also tabled 27 separate motions naming all these casualties.

He said: “In the past I have read out the names of the fallen in the Commons chamber. This is now forbidden by Commons rules. Now that the troops are returning, it’s vital we remember the true costs of war. It’s sad but inevitable that the memorial to the fallen in Camp Bastion has been dismantled to avoid desecration. As long as MPs continue to sign the early day motions, the names will continue to printed, and occupy an unmissable thirteen pages of the Commons papers.”

William Hague replied to Mr Flynn: “If we were to make a list of military blunders throughout history, it would be long and substantial before we came to anything in the last few years.

“I agree with the hon. Gentleman’s first point. The next step is for the House to have a debate or a statement from the Defence Secretary in the coming weeks, given our withdrawal from Afghanistan, about the sacrifices made and what has been achieved. Sometimes more has been achieved on some issues in Afghanistan than we sometimes get the credit for. There will be either a debate or a statement, and I will be following the matter up.”