Have any lessons been learnt from the Pen Farthing debacle?

Partygate is inevitably dominating in Westminster today – and will do so again tomorrow when the Gray report is likely to be published. But the attention on partygate should not obscure today’s Foreign Affairs select committee report on the handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. It is devastating, and should lead to a period of deep reflection in King Charles Street – and across Whitehall – of how badly things went wrong.

There are many shocking things in the report. But perhaps the most shocking is how the UK government failed to plan for the withdrawal – despite the fact it knew it was coming because US policy was not going to change. When it became clear the situation was deteriorating even more rapidly than expected, and this lack of planning was exposed, the Foreign Office permanent secretary Sir Philip Barton stayed on holiday in Crete as the Afghan government collapsed.