NEWPORT West MP Paul Flynn has been steadfast in his opposition to Britain's military operations in Afghanistan throughout the 13-year conflict.

Now, with combat operations at an end, Mr Flynn says it is time for a public inquiry into the Afghan war.

This newspaper has disagreed with Mr Flynn on many issues in the past. But on this one we support him 100 per cent.

In this column in March 2012, we called for the immediate withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan. At the time, the 400th British death had just been confirmed.

Since then a further 52 young British lives have been lost.

A public inquiry into such a long and costly conflict is the right way forward. But it must be entirely independent of government and be allowed to ask tough questions.

The purpose of Britain's operations in Afghanistan changed several times during the conflict.

An inquiry needs to be able to establish why those changes took place and whether Britain's troops were there too long. Indeed it needs to ask whether they should have been there at all.

Above all, it must not be a repeat of the Chilcott Inquiry into the invasion of Iraq which has yet to report and which has been bedevilled by undue government influence.

We hope Mr Flynn gets his way on this one.