UK Parliament To Vote On Strikes Against ISIL In Syria

‘My strong view is that this House should make clear that we will take up our responsibilities rather than pass them off and put our own national security in the hands of others, ‘ he said.

The election of veteran anti-war campaigner Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in September complicated his plans.

The vote on Wednesday night is expected to pass, with Cameron winning the support of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party and the Liberal Democrats.

He said he could not “identify a single terrorist sympathiser” on the list of MPs opposed to strikes.

Tonight I will be voting in favour of extending British involvement in air strikes against Isil to Syria.

He said: “I set out for the house last week our support for refugees in the region, the extra $1 billion we’d be prepared to commit to Syria’s reconstruction, and the broad global alliance we’d be prepared to work with in the rebuilding phase”.

They voted 397 to 223 in favour of military intervention, which Prime Minister David Cameron has argued is necessary in the fight against Islamic State.

“So this threat is very real and the question is this”, he said.

The prime minister insists military action is needed to prevent attacks like last month’s gun and bomb rampage that killed 130 people in Paris, saying the bombing would be accompanied by a diplomatic push to resolve the Syrian conflict.

The resolution extends the action now being taken by the Royal Air Force against the terrorist group in Northern Iraq – voted though in 2013 – to add Britain’s military might to the mix alongside the US, France and Russian Federation.

Labour sources suggested that 43% of Labour MPs – nearly 100 out of the party’s tally of 231 – supported air strikes in Syria, although it was unclear how many will vote with the Government.

Cameron said pursuing air strikes in Syria would not increase the likelihood of militant attacks on Britain because it was already in “the top tier of countries on the IS (Islamic State) target list”. The plan to strike ISIL in Syria is backed by a majority of the British people, according to two recent polls, but has prompted anti-war demonstrations.

“Since November previous year, our security services have foiled no fewer than seven different plots against our people”.

Britain must not allow the “past mistakes” of the 2003 Iraq War to become “an excuse for indifference or inaction”, he said.

“It appears that the 70,000 fighters referred to by the Government comprises the Free Syrian Army and a large number of disparate, localised groups”.

Pausing his speech, Corbyn gestured at Cameron and said he was happy to give way if the prime minister wanted to say sorry.

“Whether it’s the lack of strategy worth the name, the absence of credible ground troops, the failure to address the impact of the terrorist threat, or the refugee crisis and civilian casualties, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the PM’s proposals for military action simply don’t stack up”, he said.