London: Prime Minister David Cameron will make the case for extending British air strikes against Daesh into Syria as he asks Parliament on Wednesday to back military action in a vote.
Lawmakers were due to debate for more than 10 hours, starting in London, with opinion split on both sides of the House of Commons. But the rift is much larger in the opposition Labour Party, whose leader, Jeremy Corbyn, will make the case against strikes before the foreign-affairs spokesman, Hilary Benn, makes the case for them.
British PM David Cameron urges use of 'Daesh'
Cameron is likely to win the vote with the “clear majority” that he said last week he wanted, with the bulk of his Conservative Party backing the motion.
Corbyn’s already weak authority over his lawmakers may be further dented if a large proportion of Labour members of Parliament, especially senior figures, vote against him, even though he’s agreed they can vote according to their consciences. He warned them on Tuesday of the possible consequences of their actions.
“The vast majority of party members are opposed to the war in Syria; the majority of Labour members of Parliament are opposed to the war in Syria,” Corbyn told Sky News television. “Every member has their responsibility tomorrow to make their decision on whether this country goes to war again or not.”
The motion being put to lawmakers “talks about, yes, the necessity of taking military action against [Daesh] in Syria as well as Iraq, but it is part of a broader strategy,” Cameron told reporters Tuesday. “It’s about politics and diplomacy and humanitarian aid, all of which we need to bring to bear to bring peace to Syria but to make sure we protect our national interest of fighting against this appalling terrorist organisation.”
