British MPs have voted 397 to 223 in favor of launching airstrikes against ISIS in Syria – a 174 majority.
03 December 2015
British jets have carried out their “first air strikes” on Syrian territory, Reuters reports, quoting a government source.
“A strike was made on Syria,” and the UK’s Tornado bombers have returned to the base, the source said without elaborating.
02 December 2015
Live updates are winding down here. You can read our snap coverage of the vote here.
There are reports that RAF bombers could attack ISIL in Syria as soon as Thursday, according to defense sources.
Earlier Captain Richard Davies, a Tornado pilot and station commander said:
“We have aircraft at a readiness state so they are prepared and ready to deploy.”
“If a vote yes, if Tornados flying at that time and if there is a target in Syria UK bombing could happen overnight … If all those ducks are aligned and the aircraft are airborne at that moment and a target comes up they will go. It depends where they are. If we are airborne in Iraq and the vote is yes we could be targeting on that mission,” the Guardian reported Davies saying.
Out at the protest, boos can be heard as the result is announced.
British MPs vote 397 to 223 in favor of launching airstrikes against ISIS in Syria, 174 majority.
After a tumultuous day of impassioned debate, the motion to extend airstrikes against IS from Iraq into Syria has passed with a 174 majority.
Some 67 Labour MPs voted in favor of strikes, swinging the vote in the government’s favor.
Bombing against the extremist group’s Syrian strongholds could begin imminently.
Earlier in the evening, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said raids could begin “very quickly” because jets are already stationed in the Middle East where they are carrying out attacks in Iraq.
Hilary Benn's speech has been widely heralded as the best speech of the session.
On Twitter Labour MPs, journalists, and onlookers have praised his oratory and his sentiment.
MPs vote NO to blocking military action in Syria.
Some 390 MPs voted against blocking military action in Syria, with 210 voting in favor.
The MPs are lining up to vote. A result is imminent.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond gives his closing speech:
The motion being debated is to extend airstrikes already taking place in Iraq into the “heartland” of Islamic State in Syria, the Foreign Secretary says.
He says that although he “respects” Corbyn’s decision to vote against the motion, he believes his objections are “misguided.”
Military action is “our obligation to act in the best interest of the UK and of British citizens,” he says.
He adds that the House of Commons has performed “at its best,” with 104 members making speeches, saying “we have done justice to the gravity of the subject we are debating.”
“Airstrikes alone will not finish ISIL,” he says, “but they will over time degrade ISIL and force a change in its behavior.”
Hammond thinks, in the end, a ground assault will be needed to oust ISIL from their Raqqa stronghold.
“Ultimately there will need to be a ground assault on Raqqa,” he says. “That will come in months or perhaps years,” he adds.
He also says he has received a letter from US Secretary of State John Kerry saying there would be “no military solution to civil war in Syria,” but also that there would be “no political deal with Daesh.”
Kerry wrote that the Vienna talks are the best opportunity in four years to establish a ceasefire and political solution.
The threat from IS in the UK is great, he adds, saying there have been more than 100 attempted attacks in the past year compared to just 15 the year before.
“Do we take the fight to them, or do we wait for them to bring the fight to us?”
“What kind of a country would we be if we ignored the calls for help from our nearest neighbors even as they grieve for their dead?”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn tells the House that airstrikes are essential to halting the expansion of Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
At its heart, he says, the question of airstrikes is “very simple.”
“What shall we do to confront this threat?”
The “carnage” in Paris “brought home the present danger” to the UK and fostered the need to act against the extremists, he says, because it could have been and “could still be” a British city.
Benn adds it is Britain’s “moral and practical” duty to extend airstrikes into Syria.
He believes the mandate for military action agreed upon by the Labour Party at its annual conference has been met by United Nations Security Council resolution 2249.
The UN resolution “is asking us to act now,” he says, “why would we not follow the will of the UN?”
IS have murdered Yadizi women, the guardian of relics at Palmyra, and countless homosexual men, as well as hundreds of tourists in attacks in Tunisia, Paris, and Egypt .
He brands IS as “fascists,” and reminds the House how it committed to fighting Hitler and Mussolini.
“It is time for us to do our bit,” he ends.
His speech was met with rapturous applause on both sides of the House. Much of the Labour frontbench, however, sat silent.
Here is a photo of more anti-war protesters. It reportedly shows anti-war activists in front of pro-airstrike Labour MP Mary Creagh's office.
Numerous Labour MPs have reported being targeted by anti-war activists for supporting the motion, behaviour which has been condemned by party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The backbenchers speeches will come to a close shortly, and the House will listen to closing statements from Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn.
Amnesty International has published a blog giving their view on airstrikes against Islamic State.
The campaign group state that the priority of any military campaign is to protect civilians.
Those involved in airstrikes must:
"- Refrain from targeting civilians or civilian objects
- Refrain from carrying out indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks
- Refrain from using weapons which are inherently indiscriminate or otherwise prohibited under international humanitarian law, including cluster munitions
- Take all necessary precautions in attacks to spare civilians, including by issuing warnings to civilians wherever feasible, and paying particular heed to the fact that detainees may be being held in ISIS facilities."
You can read the full piece here.
“This House knows I am a Muslim,” Shabana Mahmood tells the House. She says her religion is “not just part of my identity, but a defining characteristic of my life.”
Mahmood explains that as a Sunni Muslim, IS does not reflect the values of her religion, but she will still vote against airstrikes because the government has not presented a viable strategy.
She says she is “Sunni born, Sunni raised and Sunni by choice,” but “ISIL are not representative of our faith.”
“A Muslim like myself would be killed,” she adds.
“I want to see ISIL eradicated, but I do not feel the action proposed would work.
“We cannot simply bomb the ground, we have to have a strategy to hold it as well.”
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has told Channel 4 News that RAF jets are ready to be deployed “very quickly.”
“We are already flying reconnaissance missions over Syria,” PA reports Hammond saying.
“Our planes are carrying weapons over Syria into Iraq, so it would be a relatively simple exercise to extend the permissions to allow them to release those weapons over Syria where they identify legitimate targets.”
In Parliament Square, anti-war MPs have been talking to the crowd. So far, Labour's Diane Abbott and the SNP's Mhairi Black have joined the protest.
The latest estimate from the New Statesman's George Eaton suggests the majority of the Shadow Cabinet will vote for airstrikes.
Conservative MP Tania Mathias wells up as she says she will vote for airstrikes in Syria “for the refugees” and for the future “security” of the country.
She is followed by SNP MP Philippa Whitford, who says she witnessed great strife in Gaza. Whitford says it is important to establish the “goals” of conflict, branding previous foreign policy “tragic” and “incoherent.”
Outside in the cold, protesters across the country are still urging their MPs to vote against airstrikes. Here are the latest photos from London and Derry.
Barbara Keeley, Labour, has once again brought up Cameron’s use of the term “terrorist sympathizer,” condemning his language as “deeply offensive.”
Keeley says her constituent, aid-worker Alan Henning, was murdered by Islamic State, but she will still vote against the airstrikes because the government has failed to provide a coherent plan.
Not enough ground troops will be willing to work with Western forces, she says, further suggesting the Prime Minister has given a misleading figure of 70,000.
Only 40,000 are open to western influence, while a further 30,000 class as extremists, she adds.
Jeremy Corbyn has also condemned the anti-war activists who have reportedly targeted Labour MP's who plan to vote in favor of airstrikes.
He writes: "Over recent days I have received a number of reports that there have been some incidents where Labour Party members and MPs have been abused. Unfortunately the Prime Minister took part in this himself by downgrading this debate by calling those who vote against extending airstrikes “terrorist sympathisers.”
I want to be very clear – there is no place in the Labour Party or from those that support us - for bullying of any sort, from any side of the debate. It flies in the face of everything I believe and everything I stand for.
Political editor of the Sun, Tom Newton Dunn has tweeted a fresh prediction of the number of Labour MPs expected to vote against Jeremy Corbyn. He predicts 65.
Speaker of the House John Bercow has reduced the time limit for backbench speeches to three minutes.
There are 157 MPs wishing to speak on the subject during Wednesday's debate.
Conservative MP and former Army Officer Richard Drax tells the House of Commons that the only way to defeat Islamic State is a “full-scale, multi-national ground operation”, which, he says, “there is no appetite for for a number of reasons.”
But he believes airstrikes will “degrade” ISIL, and pave the way for a ground mission.
“Let’s not discard the idea of troops on the ground, whoever’s they may be.”
Protesters outside Parliament have begun their "die-in", where hundreds of people are blocking the roads around Westminster and traffic has been brought to a standstill.
Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham says he will oppose extending airstrikes into Syria. He tells the House of Commons that he only made his mind up today, and it was one of the most difficult decisions he has ever made.
He added that he wouldn’t rule out military intervention, but believes “the case has not been fully made by the prime minister.”
An insight from the Guardian's Patrick Wintour. He suggests that Margaret Beckett's speech earlier in the debate was powerful enough to persuade undecided MPs to vote in favor of airstrikes.
To critics of airstrikes, Beckett said:
“Well, tell that to the Kosovans, and don’t forget that if there had been no bombing in Kosovo, perhaps a million Albanian Muslim refugees would have been seeking refuge in Europe.
“Tell that to the Kurds in Kobani, who, if memory serves, pleaded for international air support, without which they felt they were losing control to Daesh.
“Tell them in Sierra Leone, that military action should always be avoided because there would be casualties. Their state and their peace was almost destroyed. It was British military action that brought them back from the brink.”
Here’s an illustration of the demonstration going on outside Parliament on Wednesday evening, where hundreds have gathered in front of the Houses of Parliament.
RT spoke to one protester about his reasons for demonstrating against airstrikes.
“Airstrikes have always and will always kill innocent people. This killing of innocents is not only despicable, it fuels extremism, and in doing so actively furthers ISIS’ cause,” he said.
Another protester told RT: "By demonstrating we hope spread the knowledge that initiating air strikes in Syria will inevitably cause more harm to innocents than good. Hopefully in doing so our elected officials will not only vote no on the air strikes but work towards a more positive solution to the crisis in Syria."
SNP member John Nicolson is using his four minutes to document a list of failings by previously governments to tackle extremism in the Middle East.
He says the 2003 invasion of Iraq “unleashed the monsters” of jihadism, and subsequent decisions in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to the position the government is in today.
Nicolson added that the current bombing campaign by coalition forces in Iraq has killed over 1,000 civilians, calling the campaign a “disgrace.” He does not believe airstrikes in Syria would alleviate the issues.
The National Student's Union have also unanimously voted to oppose airstrikes.
A press release from the War on Want is urging the government to vote against extending airstrikes into Syria.
Here is an extract from the release. The full statement can be read here.
"There is no denying the long-term humanitarian crisis that has been created in Syria and Iraq as a result of the West’s intervention in the region, nor the horrors now faced by the millions of civilians living under Islamic State rule.
"Further aerial bombardment offers no solution to this crisis, but intensifying the violence will surely exacerbate its horrors. The Conservative-led Foreign Affairs Committee voted last night against the bombing, saying that the case for air strikes had not been made.
"MPs must step back from committing the UK to yet another war in the Middle East."
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has criticized anti-war activists who allegedly tried to “demonize” pro-airstrike MPs for supporting the motion. He doesn’t explicitly name the activists. His comments follow a number of complaints by MPs who claim they have been targeted for planning to vote in favor of airstrikes.
Labour’s Barry Gardiner said Cameron was “wrong” to call him and other anti-war MPs “terrorist sympathizers.” Garnder wants to ensure there is a cohesive strategy, and insists the current plans will not succeed.
He also says the government is “wrong” to suggest the 70,000 rebels on the ground are either “moderate” or ready to fight alongside Western troops.
Earlier on Wednesday, Cameron refused to withdraw his statement that all MPs voting against the motion are “terrorist sympathizers.”
The protest in London continues to grow as the debate rages in Parliament. Shouts of “don’t bomb Syria" can be heard across the Square.
Jim Dowd of Labour has just told the House “no one is pretending that airstrikes are the only solution.”
He, like other MPs today, have called for a coherent response to Islamic State, of which airstrikes play a crucial part.
Conservative MP John Glenn has also said that in order to defeat Daesh it will be necessary to come to "uncomfortable" agreements with Russia, Iran, and possibly even Syrian President Bashar Assad himself.
More and more protests are taking place across the country. We've already seen crowds in Manchester, York, Barnsley and Birmingham.
Here are more crowds gathering in Bristol and Nottingham.
Former Conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague backed airstrikes during the House of Lords debate.
He also said it may be necessary to dismantle the border of Syria and Iraq, suggesting committing troops on the ground may be another solution.
“We should be open to new solutions. In the end, if communities and leaders cannot live peacefully together in Syria and Iraq then we will have to try them living peacefully but separately in the partition of those countries, regretfully though I say that,” he said.
“[We] should not rule out the use, perhaps, of small specialist ground forces in the future, from Western nations, if that helps to tip the balance on the grounds,” he added.
Here are more images of the protest in London from RT correspondent Laura Burdon-Manley, where police are trying remove a protester from underneath a lorry.
The Commons earlier ruled to refer to Islamic State as “Daesh,” reasoning that the Arabic translation of the name is more offensive to the extremist group than ISIS or ISIL.
However, founder of the Quilliam foundation and former Islamic extremist Maajid Nawaz has re-shared his criticism of the decision.
Out at the protest in Parliament Square there are reports that an individual is lying underneath a lorry, preventing it from moving.
So far a few hundred protesters have gathered outside the Houses of Parliament, and more are expected to arrive from 18:00 GMT.
In the House of Commons, MPs continue to make the case for and against extending bombing into Syria.
Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh expressed his doubts over airstrikes, saying the West had made a “terrible decision” previously in the Middle East. He said if Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond could convince him it would be a “just war” in his closing statement, then he would vote in favor, but currently he remains undecided.
Labour MP Kate Hoey said although she would usually support airstrikes, she cannot vote in favor of the motion because too many unanswered questions remain.
Rebellious Labour MP for Barrow-in-Furness John Woodcock offered his support for the motion and criticized Corbyn for failing to provide a “credible, official opposition” to the Conservative government.
There are also anti-war protests in Manchester. Here's a video of the demonstration currently taking place in Piccadilly Gardens.
Earlier on Wednesday, RT reported that Labour MP Stella Creasy had been ‘bullied’ by anti-war protesters for considering rebelling against Corbyn and backing the motion.
On Tuesday night, anti-war protesters marched through Walthamstow and held a vigil outside Creasy’s constituency office in northeast London. Activists plastered her door and windows with sticky notes spelling out the word “No” to pressure the undecided MP to vote against airstrikes.
Reports had originally claimed the group had marched to Creasy’s home. Organizers denied this, and insisted they had staged a peaceful vigil. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that no arrests had been made and that the demonstration was peaceful.
Read the full story here.
The House of Lords are also debating the airstrikes motion. Former Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced he will back the measures during his maiden speech in the Upper Chamber.
As well action in Parliament Square, there are also protests against airstrikes taking place in cities across the UK.
Here are the scenes in Birmingham, York and Barnsley, where protesters are gathering with banners and placards.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has announced he will vote against the motion to extend airstrikes against IS from Iraq into Syria.
In a statement explaining his position, Miliband said he does not think the case has been made for extending airstrikes, nor does he believe they will defeat IS or make Briton safer.
“ISIL can only be defeated in Syria with an effective and comprehensive plan. That is what is required and the proposition fails to meet that test. That is why I will be voting against the motion,” he said.
Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham, who came second to Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership battle, has announced he won’t back airstrikes, bringing the number of cabinet members opposed to military action up to 14 out of 31.
Labour MP Ivan Lewis told the House of Commons he would vote against the government’s motion because there is no credible plan beyond initial intervention.
Contributions have come from Tory MP and former soldier Johnny Mercer and Green MP Caroline Lucas.
Mercer said in the long history of the British parliament it would be impossible to find a Prime Minister who has done more to answer questions about the case for war against IS in Syria.
He said Britain’s weapons have “pinpoint accuracy” and are better than anything else being used.
Lucas, by contrast, said she is unconvinced airstrikes in Syria will make the situation better. She said all Arab states involved in the coalition have withdrawn from airstrikes, leaving only western countries to carry out the aerial bombardment.
She asked the House why Britain is not putting pressure on Turkey for buying oil from IS and scrutinizing Saudi Arabia for its alleged support of IS.
Contributions have come from Tory Caroline Spelman and Labour Pat McFadden.
Spelman MP said religious leaders in the UK, including Church of England Archbishop Justin Welby and Catholic Cardinal Vincent Nichols, support using force against IS.
McFadden MP said terrorists are fully responsible for what they do. He rejects the idea that if Britain “lies low” ISIS will leave it alone. He said if Britain extends its airstrikes into Syria, it also extends its responsibility to bringing about “a better future for Syria.”
Estimates of Labour MPs expected to support the vote continue to increase. The latest figure is 90.
Outside in Parliament Square, protesters are rallying ahead of Wednesday night’s mass “die-in.”
Chris Nineham, vice chair of Stop the War, has been giving interviews to broadcasters ahead of the protest.
“We want to send a message to MPs: Why would you follow these leaders into supporting a war when most of them voted for the Iraq war and voted for the bombing in Libya? Doesn’t that first of all bring into fundamental question their judgment on these matters? And two, doesn’t it suggest that these are incorrigible hawks who are using the situation as a pretext to get back on to the attack?” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, RT reported that Chancellor George Osborne claimed extending airstrikes would cost in the “low tens of millions.”
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said it is skeptical of the Chancellor’s claim.
“The proposed bombing campaign in Syria is very similar to the bombing of Libya in 2011,” a spokesperson told RT.
“In Libya the bombing operation was quickly extended to military personal being sent in to support rebels fighting Gaddafi on the ground. The bombing didn’t produce the results the government hoped for, so mission creep ensued. We know that operations in Libya cost up to £1.5 billion.
“I think we can expect similar mission creep in Syria, which will inevitably raise the costs involved.”
However, it added the cost of bombing Syria is not why many oppose it.
“We oppose bombing Syria because it will not reduce the threat of terrorism – actually, it will increase the threat of terrorism.
“What began in 2001 as a war to eliminate relatively small numbers of al-Qaeda terror cells in Afghanistan, extended to Iraq, Libya and now Syria, and it has created chaos wherever it has been extended.
“It is that instability and chaos which is a breeding ground for terrorism, and it’s completely mad to think more of the same will produce different results.”
Contributions have also come from Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi and Tory Owen Paterson.
Qureshi said she would happily support the motion if she thought it could improve the situation. But she feels airstrikes are just a “symbolic gesture.”
Paterson urged the government to examine how the local Sunni population could be involved as part of a long-term solution.
He said he would back the motion.
Conservative David Davis also claimed that ISIL recruitment has doubled since coalition airstrikes started.
Middle East expert Charles Lister says that Daesh have already won a major political debate.
The full transcripts of both Cameron and Corbyn’s speeches are now available on the House of Commons website. You can read them here.
Back in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has delivered his contribution to the debate.
He drew upon the late Charles Kennedy’s previous decisions over British military intervention.
Farron said he was “proud” of his former leader’s decisions both to oppose the invasion of Iraq and to back intervention in Bosnia.
He said that although his “automatic instinct” is to oppose war, the government had “broadly” met the terms he had laid out to secure a “humanitarian, internationalist, and liberal” response to the crisis.
“On balance, [the terms] have been broadly met,” he said
“But I will not give unconditional support to the government.”
There are “huge questions” about the funding of Daesh and the protection of civilians during a bombing campaign, Farron warned.
He also said he is “very concerned” about Britain’s failure to take a fair share of refugees as part of the EU’s response to the migrant crisis.
The decision is an “incredibly tough call,” he said.
Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani, the party’s first female Muslim MP, says she will back airstrikes, adding that Britain should not just support France “metaphorically.”
Mainstream press views on Syria airstrikes:
Britain’s press is largely aligned against extending airstrikes on IS targets from Iraq into Syria, making Wednesday night’s parliamentary vote by no means a foregone conclusion.
The UK’s largest media outlets are running stories opposed to David Cameron’s motion, scrutinizing the prime minister’s claims and highlighting growing public opposition to war.
Most notably, the Times led with a story stating fewer than half of the public support the rush to war. The article used YouGov statistics to demonstrate tumbling public confidence in Cameron’s stance, with 5 million turning their backs on airstrikes in just one week.
The Daily Mail ran a similar story, piling further doubt on the prime minister’s initiative. That such a pro-establishment title has taken an anti-war stance speaks volumes of the uncertainty surrounding the vote and shows that opposition to the war spans the political spectrum.
The left-leaning Guardian continues to support those opposing airstrikes and has reported heavily on Tuesday night’s anti-war protests. The paper errs on the side of caution at just what British airstrikes can contribute to the fight against IS.
The Independent led with a front page anti-war message, warning a decision to go ahead with airstrikes would be based on “wishful thinking and poor information.” The Independent’s Patrick Cockburn warns a vote in favor will make little difference and may lead Britain into a “long war.”
Finally, the Daily Telegraph led with Cameron’s attack on “terrorist sympathizer” Jeremy Corbyn, along with an image from Tuesday’s anti-war protests. The ‘Don’t Bomb Syria’ placard is symbolic of much of the nation’s attitude, with the country increasingly unconvinced by Cameron’s pro-war case.
Stop the War will also stage a mass “die-in” outside the Houses of Parliament, due to take place on Wednesday at 18.00 GMT. Protesters are already beginning to gather in Parliament Square before the demonstration. The group is urging individuals to lobby their local MP by phone and online.
The Stop the War coalition, organizers of the 5,000-strong emergency demonstration on Tuesday night, is promoting a petition against military action in Syria which has gained almost 70,000 signatories.
Labour MP Margaret Beckett, who has stated she will be voting in favor of airstrikes, has made waves with an impassioned speech.
You can watch Beckett’s speech in full here.
She notably drew upon recent examples of British military intervention which were considered successful.
“Some say, simply, that innocent people are more likely to be killed. Military action does create casualties, however much we try to minimize them.
“So should we, on those grounds, abandon action in Iraq, although we undertake it at the request of Iraq’s government? Should we take no further action against Daesh (IS), who are themselves killing innocent people and striving to kill more every day?
“Would we make ourselves a bigger target for Daesh attack? We are a target. We will remain a target. There’s no need to worry about it. Daesh has told us so, and continues to tell us so with every day that passes.”
To critics of airstrikes, Beckett said:
“Well, tell that to the Kosovans, and don’t forget that if there had been no bombing in Kosovo, perhaps a million Albanian Muslim refugees would have been seeking refuge in Europe.
“Tell that to the Kurds in Kobani, who, if memory serves, pleaded for international air support, without which they felt they were losing control to Daesh.
“Tell them in Sierra Leone, that military action should always be avoided because there would be casualties. Their state and their peace was almost destroyed. It was British military action that brought them back from the brink.”
The debate in the House of Commons is continuing.
Former Conservative Defence Secretary Liam Fox said in order to defeat Islamic State, an international coalition will be needed to provide ground troops because “no conflict is won from the air alone.”
He said MPs must recognize Islamic State is a violent group that believes it is carrying out “God’s work.”
Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman gave an emotive speech, saying it was right to loath IS, but he was not convinced by Cameron’s case for airstrikes.
“I am not going to be party to the killing of innocent civilians for what will simply be a gesture.”
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Crispin Blunt said he believes Britain should go further than airstrikes to beat Islamic State. He referred to a UN Security Council resolution which states that member states should take “all necessary measures” to tackle the group.
MPs have debated the use of ‘Daesh’ as an alternative name for Islamic State or ISIL. Joe Glenton, from Veterans for Peace UK, says the name doesn’t affect the threat.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, RT reported Chancellor George Osborne estimates the cost of airstrikes in Syria will be “in the low tens of millions” of pounds.
“I think the estimate of extended air action over Syria would be in the low tens of millions of pounds,” Osborne told a committee of lawmakers on Tuesday.
“That’ll come out of the special reserve which we established for the purposes of military action like this.”
Read the full article here.
The Guardian has released a list of Labour MPs they believe will be voting in favor of airstrikes. The rebels are expected to provide Cameron with enough support to pass the motion.
The list includes five MPs who are likely to vote in favor, but have not yet publically made their intentions clear.
Heidi Alexander
Hilary Benn
Tom Blenkinsop
Chris Bryant
Vernon Coaker
Ann Coffey
Mary Creagh
Simon Danczuk
Michael Dugher
Maria Eagle
Natascha Engel (but can’t vote as deputy speaker)
Jim Fitzpatrick
Caroline Flint
Mike Gapes (would vote, but is unwell in hospital)
Dan Jarvis
Helen Jones
Alan Johnson
Chris Leslie
Holly Lynch
Siobhain McDonagh
Lucy Powell
Jamie Reed
Angela Smith
Gisela Stuart
Chuka Umunna
Tom Watson
John Woodcock
A statement from Corbyn's camp suggests the anti-war movement had already admitted defeat, with still over eight hours of debate to go until the vote takes place.
Twenty-one-year-old Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Mhairi Black, the youngest parliamentarian in the house, has tweeted a video of former Labour MP Tony Benn making a speech about foreign intervention to the House of Commons in 1998.
She says she will be voting against airstrikes this evening.
Veteran journalist Patrick Cockburn, who has reported on Iraq and the Middle East for decades, wrote in the Independent on Wednesday that the proposal for military action in Syria is based on “wishful thinking and poor information.”
While many MPs are trying to distance the current vote from the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Cockburn says Cameron is taking the same approach Tony Blair did.
“Britain is on the verge of entering a conflict in Syria in which its political and military strategy is based on wishful thinking and poor information.”
Key points of Corbyn’s speech:
- A two-day debate would have been far better than a single day marathon, Corbyn argued. Some 157 MPs wish to speak in the debate.
- Support for airstrikes among the public has fallen dramatically, the Labour leader said.
- Canada has withdrawn from the campaign currently being conducted by the US, France and other nations, he said, suggesting military force has not worked to date.
- The prime minister’s claim of 70,000 moderate rebels “has not stood up to scrutiny” and many of the groups on the ground would not cooperate with Britain, Corbyn said.
- The UN resolution passed after the Paris attacks does not give clear and unambiguous remit for military action, he argued.
- The resolution does suggest that oil funding from Islamic State should be completely cut off.
- Corbyn said he wants to know how airstrikes will contribute to a coherent, international, political solution.
- David Cameron’s plans do not meet the seven conditions agreed by Labour at its party conference, Corbyn said.
Corbyn referenced one of his constituents whose family live in ISIS-controlled territory.
“I’m a Syrian from Manbij city, which is now controlled by ISIL. Members of my family still live there and ISIL didn’t kill them. My question to David Cameron is: ‘Can you guarantee the safety of my family when your air forces bomb my city?” the Labour leader quoted his constituent as saying.
The Saudi ambassador to the UK has attacked Corbyn for suggesting that the country is involved in funding Islamic State.
Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz al Saud described comments made by Corbyn and former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown as “distortion” and “an insult” to the Saudi Arabian government.
Read the full story here.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is currently laying out his opposition to airstrikes in the House of Commons. Behind him on the Opposition Front Bench sits Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn, who was among a group of rebellious members of the Shadow Cabinet who forced Corbyn to give Labour MPs a free vote.
The Liberal Democrats claim the review into terror funding in the UK is a concession won by them, not by Labour, the Guardian reports. The LidDems say it was one of their conditions for supporting bombing in Syria.
Key points continued:
- Cameron has ordered a total review into the funding of terror in the UK.
- The prime minister said countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey, have all called for Britain to join the campaign of airstrikes.
- The long-term plan is to establish a ceasefire and a new transitional government in Syria within 18 months.Attacking ISIL will help this process, Cameron said.
- Humanitarian work and reconstruction work cannot be separated from the battle against Islamic State, Cameron said. It is necessary to get rid of the terror group to make the country safe, he added.
- The UK will take 1,000 Syrian refugees by Christmas as part of the government’s plan to take 20,000 by 2020. The PM said he would be willing to examine further action.
- Britain has allies, the support of a UN resolution and a clear plan, Cameron claimed.
Key points of Cameron’s speech so far:
- PM has once again reinforced the idea that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) does not respect the boundaries of Iraq and Syria, so why should British airstrikes?
- IS presents a direct threat to Iraq, according to the United Nations Security Council resolution, so Britain should be involved tacking the terror group in the countries where it operates.
- Terror plots against the UK are being coordinated in Syria.
- Wants Britain to ultimately work with a “transitional army” which would act as allies against IS and play a role in rebuilding war-torn Syria.
- British airstrikes will not increase the threat of terror attacks on UK soil, he argues, saying the threat of attack is already high and a Paris-style attack could happen.
- The Vienna talks, which include Russia, are making real headway and countries are growing closer to an agreement on the future of Syria and its president, Bashar Assad.
Cameron repeatedly harangued about “terrorist sympathizer” comments.
The PM has been interrupted on a number of occasions over his remarks that Jeremy Corbyn and other Labour MPs voting against the motion are “terrorist sympathizers.”
Each time Cameron has refused to apologize, saying there is “honor on both sides.”
One intervention was from Labour MP John Woodcock, who demanded an apology for his colleagues, even though he would be voting in favor. Another was from Scottish National Party Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Alex Salmond.
Prime Minister David Cameron is making his case for airstrikes to the House of Commons. Follow here LIVE.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron laid out his reasons for supporting airstrikes in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening. He told his constituents the issue of Syria was very different to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and expressed the need to work with international allies to defeat the extremist group.
On Tuesday evening, an estimated 5,000 protesters gathered in Parliament Square to protest against extending airstrikes against ISIS from Iraq into Syria.
Organized by the Stop the War coalition, marchers swarmed through central London to deliver letters opposing airstrikes to both the Conservative and Labour Party headquarters.
Popular support for airstrikes is dwindling.
A YouGov survey published in the Times on Wednesday shows that some 5 million people have been swayed by arguments against bombing Syria in the past week alone.
A week ago 59 percent of people in the UK backed airstrikes, but now the number stands at 48 percent.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s motion to extend airstrikes against ISIS from Iraq into Syria will be debated throughout the day in the House of Commons.
The motion itself has been specifically designed to meet as many of the criteria agreed by the Labour Party at its annual conference required for its members to support airstrikes.
Cameron will be feeling confident he has persuaded enough Labour MPs to win a majority for his motion after their leader Jeremy Corbyn was forced to give his MPs a free vote in order to quell a rebellion in his own shadow cabinet.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, too, has announced his party will be voting in favor of the motion.
The impending vote has been met with protests across the country, with many believing the UK is about to plunge itself into another disastrous “Iraq-style” foreign war.
At 18:00 GMT protesters will stage a “die in” outside the Houses of Parliament to oppose the rush to war.
The vote itself will be held at 22:00 GMT.
Here is the full text of the motion being debated today.
"That this House notes that ISIL poses a direct threat to the United Kingdom;
"welcomes United Nations Security Council Resolution 2249 which determines that ISIL constitutes an ‘unprecedented threat to international peace and security’ and calls on states to take ‘all necessary measures’ to prevent terrorist acts by ISIL and to ‘eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Iraq and Syria’;
"further notes the clear legal basis to defend the UK and our allies in accordance with the UN Charter;
"notes that military action against ISIL is only one component of a broader strategy to bring peace and stability to Syria;
"welcomes the renewed impetus behind the Vienna talks on a ceasefire and political settlement; welcomes the Government’s continuing commitment to providing humanitarian support to Syrian refugees;
"underlines the importance of planning for post-conflict stabilisation and reconstruction in Syria;
"welcomes the Government’s continued determination to cut ISIL’s sources of finance, fighters and weapons;
"notes the requests from France, the US and regional allies for UK military assistance; acknowledges the importance of seeking to avoid civilian casualties, using theUK’s particular capabilities;
"notes the Government will not deploy UK troops in ground combat operations;
"welcomes the Government’s commitment to provide quarterly progress reports to the House;
"and accordingly supports Her Majesty’s Government in taking military action, specifically airstrikes, exclusively against ISIL in Syria;
"and offers its wholehearted support to Her Majesty’s Armed Forces."