British troops who helped evacuate desperate people from Afghanistan should be awarded military medals, Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader called for a change to the rules to honour soldiers who helped Brits and vulnerable Afghans to safety as the Taliban seized control of Kabul.
And he mounted a fiery attack on the Government for letting down brave troops.
More than 15,000 people were airlifted to safety through Operation Pitting, in the largest evacuation effort since the Second World War.
But the two-week operation falls short of the 30 days of continuous service required under strict rules for military medals.
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Mr Starmer appealed to the Government to overhaul the rules to honour heroes who helped in the evacuation effort.
Speaking in the Commons, he said: "The heroes on the ground of Operation Pitting are the best of us. The ambassador stayed to process every case he could.
"Paratroopers lifted people from the crush. Afghan soldiers continued to serve alongside us to the end. And thousands of others risked their lives to help others escape."
He praised hero troops for facing down deadly violence to ensure thousands of Brits were evacuated and Afghans were able to start new lives in Britain.
In a direct address to troops, Mr Starmer said: "Your service deserves recognition and honour and I hope the Prime Minster will accept Labour's proposal to scrap the 30-day continuous service rule so that medals are awarded for your bravery."
He said British troops were "let down" by the political leadership as the Government was caught out by the speed of the Taliban's takeover.
He said: "They were let down on strategy. The Prime Minister underestimated the strength of the Taliban, despite intelligence warnings that rapid Taliban advances could lead to the collapse of the Afghan security forces, a return to power of the Taliban and our embassy shutting down amid reduced security, the Government continued to act on the assumption that there was no path to military victory for the Taliban.
His comments as Boris Johnson appeared before MPs to defend the Government's handling of the crisis in Afghanistan.
The PM said the 20-year military involvement in the region had protected the world from Al-Qaeda and allowed millions of girls to go to school.
He said: "There are very few countries which have the military capability to do what we have just done, and fewer still that would have felt the moral imperative to act in the same way.
"We can be proud of our armed forces and everything that they have achieved and for the legacy they leave behind, and what they did was in the best traditions of this country."
He also underlined the UK's plans for a resettlement scheme for 20,000 Afghans over the coming years, with 5,000 people to be admitted this year.
Afghans who aided British forces will be given indefinite leave to the remain in the UK.
