Corbyn: Only I will decide on Syria vote

David Cameron addressing the press at the Intercontinental Malta this afternoon.

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.

An opinion poll released on Friday indicated 48 percent of British voters supported extending air strikes to hit ISIS in Syria, with 30 percent opposed.

Despite previously insisting he would listen to colleagues, the 66-year-old Labour Party leader declared he would decide the party’s policy on Syria, saying: “It is the leader who decides”.

The UK Parliament will vote next week on whether to join with the U.S. and France in launching air strikes on Syria.

The global community has to have a partner with whom to work in Libya and this is why a unity government is needed, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said this afternoon. “That can help. And Britain should be part of that action because of the extra resources and abilities that we can bring. We will make that decision not at this moment but later on”. It worked in Iraq and can also work in Syria.

“The bombing will ensure those regional powers will not step up to the plate”.

“My argument is yes there is military action that is being taken over the skies of Syria”.

Pressed on whether he personally was ready to resign, Lord Falconer said: “I don’t want to comment on that”.

“I’m not going anywhere”, the leader said Sunday.

He went on: “On certain issues, the ones really above party politics, we have got to have mature politics in our democracy now”.

MPs such as Aberavon’s Stephen Kinnock have made the case for a free vote, arguing that going to war is a matter of conscience.

“You can’t just write these people off as psychopaths and sociopaths”, the Bridge Of Spies star said.

“There shouldn’t be any party discipline on issues like this. You should follow your own judgement on what you think is best for the constituency and the country”.

The move raises the prospect that the leader could pre-empt what had been billed as a crunch meeting of the shadow cabinet on Monday to decide whether Labour MPs will get a free vote.

Former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said yesterday that he would vote for bombing even if it means breaking the Labour whip.

Cambridge Stop the War is a broad-based coalition of peace activists, Trade Unions, faith groups, political parties and individuals in and around Cambridge.

It is thought that 15 members of the shadow cabinet spoke out against Mr Corbyn’s view.

Corbyn said he would not describe himself as a pacifist but military action should only be used as an absolute last resort.

The Mirror told last week how up to half his MPs, including most of the Shadow Cabinet, were considering defying him and voting for airstrikes.

“I think it will have the opposite effect. It is no way to run a party”, he said.

Mr Corbyn said no decision had yet been taken on whether Labour MPs would be given a free vote.