Which parties would pull out of Afghanistan?

As the polls suggest a public opinion surge towards withdrawal from Afghanistan (73 per cent in the YouGov poll for Channel 4 News, up from 62 per cent only two weeks ago), you may be wondering which political parties support that view.

PRO-WITHDRAWAL: Plaid Cymru, Green Party, the BNP, Respect and UKIP (UKIP specify there must be US agreement first).

PRO-TROOPS STAYING BUT CALLING FOR A RE-THINK: SNP; Liberal Democrats, Conservatives.

There are “real tensions” in the Liberal Democrat parliamentary ranks about their position, an MP told me.

One Lib Dem MP told me he believed that Paddy Ashdown’s outspoken support for the action in Afghanistan was acting like a drag anchor on the party’s position when the logic should be taking the party towards a withdrawalist position.

The Conservatives believe that if they win the election Afghanistan will be one of the decisive issues on which they will be judged. A policy review could follow soon after an election.

As for the government, the real tensions on the Labour benches were glimpsed when former Foreign Office minister Kim Howells went public with a withdrawal call this week but the Prime Minister will tomorrow re-state his position that the troops must stay, the work is vital and protects British people on the streets here.

It’s that last argument that most agnostic/worried MPs you speak to have a problem accepting.

Related: Poll shows the public are losing confidence on Afghanistan

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