Britain’s Labour Party leader to give MPs free vote on Syria airstrikes

Granting Labour MPs a free vote on British military action against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) in Syria was, in the end, the only viable option for a leader faced with the principled opposition of shadow ministers.

Mr Corbyn will also press Mr Cameron to delay the crunch vote in the Commons until his party’s concerns about the justification for action are addressed during two days of debate. These included “how it would accelerate a negotiated settlement of the Syrian civil war; what ground troops would take territory evacuated by ISIS; military coordination and strategy; the refugee crisis and the imperative to cut off supplies to ISIS”, it said.

The former London mayor said IS wanted Britain to extend action to Syria because it would be a “good recruiting sergeant”.

Such a postponement would increase the possibility that Labour MPs could come under pressure from lobbying from party members and constituents to change their mind.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon responded on Twitter, stating: “So a party that says it is anti-airstrikes has just made a vote for airstrikes more likely?!”

The prospect of delaying the vote would provide Corbyn and grassroots Labour supporters more time to persuade party colleagues to oppose the airstrikes.

Corbyn’s decision, reached after a meeting Monday with senior Labour Party figures, means the opposition leader will not demand that all his party’s legislators follow his lead and oppose the strikes.

“As such, we would urge MPs to learn the lessons of the past, and not to vote for extending air strikes over Syria”, he said.

Another Labour lawmaker, Paul Flynn, told the BBC there were “terrible divisions” while a third, Fiona Mactaggart, called Corbyn’s position “unsustainable”.

Even before the Labour top team gathered at Westminster, Diane Abbott – one of Mr Corbyn’s few shadow cabinet allies – was warning that it would be a mistake to give Labour MPs a free vote and that they should be ordered to oppose air strikes.

It is understood that the PM will tear up the usual Commons business on Wednesday to make way for the marathon debate.

He said: “David Cameron must share his draft motion on Syria as early as possible”.

Labour’s internal survey, ordered by Mr Corbyn, received 107,875 responses.

While Cameron’s Conservative party politicians are largely in favour of the bombing in Syria, there are a number of Tory MPs that are opposed to the military action and could throw the result into doubt.

Ms Maskell, the member for York Central, said suggestions some Labour MPs could be using the Syria debate as a way to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn “despicable”.

Noting that the headquarters of IS is in Syria, Cameron added: “It makes no sense to recognize this (Iraq-Syria) border in the action we take when ISIL themselves don’t recognize this border”.

“He is speaking because he is the shadow foreign secretary and this is a free vote and the shadow cabinet is embracing that and giving the chance for the alternative position to be put”, said the source.

A spokesman for Corbyn said after Cameron’s statement: “Matters of national security are far too important to be bulldozed through the House of Commons for political convenience”.