Corbyn set for cabinet showdown

Corbyn urged Labour MPs to listen to the party membership when they come to their decision on military intervention in Syria, and said it will be “the leader who decides” whether MPs will be whipped to vote against airstrikes or whether they will be given a free vote.

Mr Corbyn faces the prospect of a rebellion by senior figures, including members of the shadow cabinet, if he attempts to impose a three-line whip to vote against bombing IS in Syria.

The Labour leader vowed: “I’m not going anywhere” as the head of the Unite union Len McCluskey warned the party’s MPs against using the issue as an excuse to stage a coup.

She told the BBC: “Frankly, I think the threat of mass resignations has been exaggerated but we will have to see”.

Corbyn wrote to Cameron: “As of this morning, we have not had a clear proposal from the government on when you plan to bring forward a motion to the house on airstrikes in Syria or on arrangements for the debate”.

I don’t think that’s what party members want to see.

The Times newspaper said senior Labour officials and lawmakers had sought legal advice on how to unseat Corbyn in the hope of building support for a plot against him. “I think that would be wrong in this particular instance because I think people have very strong views one way or another”.

“The problem about a free vote is it hands victory to Cameron of these air strikes, it hands victory to him on a plate”.

Corbyn on Sunday highlighted the support he had from grassroot members, who helped propel him to a shock victory in September’s race for the party leadership, insisting that their “voice” must be heard.

For while the veteran left-winger is personally opposed to airstrikes in Syria, his parliamentary party is deeply divided.

British bombing missions over Syria could then start within hours of the motion being passed.

The immediate point of contention is over “whipping”, the question of whether Corbyn will order the Labour Party’s 231 lawmakers to vote against David Cameron’s plans or whether he will grant his colleagues permission to vote freely.

“However, I think the party and increasingly the public would be disappointed if we didn’t oppose these air strikes to the limits of our ability”.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray has announced he will vote against air strikes on IS in Syria.

Today is a crunch day in Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party.

Mr Corbyn told the Andrew Marr show at the weekend one of the reasons he is against airstrikes is because he has serious doubts about David Cameron’s claim that there are 70,000 moderate Syrian fighters on the ground to take on IS.

After initial speculation that Corbyn might try to whip Labour MPs, shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggested there would be a free vote instead, easing the tension.

Key to the row is the fact that Corbyn – a political outsider and serial rebel before becoming leader – was elected in September thanks to grassroots left-wing support, but is not widely backed by generally more centrist Labour MPs.

Jess Phillips told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend: “If the Labour Party as a collective group of people can not have a consensus position on this, that is very, very lamentable”.