'Government needs to ensure safety of Brits in Middle East as diplomatic efforts go on'

The first charter flight left Lebanon today but there are fears the Foreign Office's rescue operation could grind to a halt if Beirut airport is closed because of the fighting

The Foreign Office is in a race against time to evacuate thousands of British nationals from Lebanon.

The first charter flight left today but there are fears the rescue operation could grind to a halt if Beirut airport is closed because of the fighting. Ensuring the safety of UK civilians is ­obviously a priority for the Government amid growing concerns the conflict between Israel and Iran is on the cusp of escalating into an all-out regional war.

But there can be no let-up in the diplomatic efforts to persuade the two countries to step back from the brink. So far, attempts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza have failed but that does not mean the i­nternational community should abandon hope of a diplomatic solution. When the price of failure is so high they must persevere until every last avenue has been exhausted.

Right to lose

The Conservatives spent their annual ­conference demonstrating they have learned nothing from their election routing.

Instead of speaking to the country, for four days they talked only to themselves. Up against a Premier League side, the Tories are looking to pick a leader from the reserve team of a non-league club. Two of the candidates, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, remain under the delusion that they lost because they were not sufficiently right-wing.

Meanwhile, their main rival, James Cleverly, tried to win over members by promising billions of pounds of unfunded tax cuts. Absent from the conference was any apology for the dire state they left the country in. For as long as they fail to understand why they lost, they deserve to stay on the sidelines.

Keep Cam

Queen Camilla is a real grafter, according to her son Tom Parker-Bowles. She’s still putting in the hours even though her job description is to work to rule.