Two women shot dead in Kabul. A protest that dared to demand rights. The Taliban's response? Bullets. Now Westminster is scrambling.
The Foreign Office issued a terse statement. 'The UK condemns the Taliban's violent suppression of peaceful protest.' Strong words. But what's the plan?
Sources tell me Downing Street is furious. They've been working on a backchannel with Taliban intermediaries. This sets it back. Hard.
The protest was small. Maybe 20 women. Chanting 'Bread, Work, Freedom.' A risky act in a city where the Taliban's morality police roam. One witness told our correspondent the gunmen were in uniform. Taliban uniforms.
Opposition MPs are circling. Labour's shadow foreign secretary is calling for 'immediate sanctions'. The Liberal Democrats want a UN resolution. The usual noises. But tonight, the mood in the lobby is different. There's a sense that the West's strategy is failing.
A senior diplomat confided: 'We've been too soft. The Taliban smell weakness.' He's not alone. I'm hearing whispers of a Cabinet split. The Foreign Office wants engagement. The Ministry of Defence wants a tougher line. The PM is caught in the middle.
Let's look at the numbers. Since the Taliban took over, protests have been rare. Anything less than total compliance is met with force. But this one was different. Women in the lead. No men. That's a red line for the regime.
The UK has a special responsibility. We led the international effort in Helmand. Thousands of lives sacrificed. Now we can't even protect a protest. The optics are terrible.
What happens next? Expect a flurry of diplomatic activity. The UK will push for a joint statement at the UN Security Council. But without China or Russia on board, it's toothless.
Inside the Tory party, the right wing is restless. They want to cut aid entirely. 'Why fund a government that shoots women?' one backbencher growled at me in the tearoom. The PM's response? Non-committal. He's waiting to see which way the wind blows.
For the women of Afghanistan, this is a tragedy. For the UK government, it's a political headache. The Taliban won't care about a condemnation. They'll just tighten the screws.
I'll have more as this develops. For now, the mood in Westminster is grim. A protest in Kabul, two women dead, and a government that doesn't know what to do.
