British leader sets Syria airstrikes debate for Wednesday

Jeremy Corbyn must impose the whip on his MPs in order to try and force them to vote against British airstrikes on Syria, Diane Abbott has said.

The gulf between Labour’s anti-war clique and the rest of its MPs was highlighted yesterday when Ken Livingstone said that British troops were “discredited”.

Michael Fallon told BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that “we’ve been talking to Labour MPs all week” but that the government had “not yet” secured enough support to be sure of winning a vote to extend airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Syria.

Asked whether the government had got the votes needed to get parliamentary approval for the air strikes, Fallon said: “Not yet, we are working at it and we need to keep working at it because there are lots of questions about this”.

Cameron’s previous government suffered a humiliating defeat in 2013 over military action against the Assad regime and did not push joining air strikes in Syria to a vote past year, amid resistance from Labour.

Today the crux at the heart of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership comes to a head – support among Labour Party members, opposition from many of his own MPs.

The first planned air strikes are expected to follow within 36 hours of a “yes” vote, but defence sources say a “dynamic targeting attack” against a target of opportunity, such as an IS leader, could take place within a few hours.

Meanwhile, a union leader has accused Labour MPs of using the issue to start a coup against Mr Corbyn. “We will come to a decision as a party”.

The likely wording of the motion emerged after Mr Cameron confirmed during a news conference at the Commonwealth summit in Malta that ministers are continuing to hold talks with backbenchers of all parties over the weekend.

The veteran left-winger, who has been a serial rebel throughout his House of Commons career, said: “I understand dissent, I understand disagreement from leadership”.

Corbyn refused to accept that it had been a “terrible” week for the Labour party, despite the split over Syria, remarks from Ken Livingstone that Tony Blair was to blame for the 7/7 London bombings, and John McDonnell quoting Mao Zedong from the dispatch box.

He claimed the RAF’s precision airstrikes had not claimed a single civilian life during action taken against IS in Iraq, and that Britain had “very strict rules of engagement”, and warned that the UK’s reputation would be damaged and the population less safe if action was not taken in Syria.

Fallon added that it would “certainly make it more difficult” if Corbyn directed his MPs to vote against action in Syria.

“My view about the membership of the Labour Party is that they must have a voice”, he said. “I ask them to look very, very carefully at the whole issue, look at what will happen if we bomb Raqqa”.

Cameron has said he will address the committee’s objections point by point, with a view to calling a vote next week.

Mr Cameron said in a speech yesterday0: ‘I think there is a compelling case that taking military action alongside our allies can help to address the threat from Isil [Islamic State]’.

Jeremy Corbyn must decide whether to whip his party into voting with him against intervention, or allowing a free vote on the issue.