Miliband Afghan visit ‘vetoed’
By politics.co.uk staff
Ed Miliband will reportedly not be able to visit Afghanistan until February, prompting accusations that Downing Street has ‘vetoed’ the Labour leader’s plans to go to the country before Christmas.
The Labour leader, already said to be smarting over being pipped in precedence by Nick Clegg during the wreath-laying at the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph, has not visited British troops in Afghanistan since he assumed his role in September.
Concerns were raised during David Cameron’s visit in June this year over his security after it emerged his schedule had to be changed at the last minute, prompting a review of the measures used for party leaders’ trips.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) insists there was no attempt to block Mr Miliband despite “strong representations” from his staff, according to media reports.
Mr Miliband is understood to wish to visit troops in Helmand province before the year is out, but the MoD argues that such high-profile visits require intense security planning.
