Labour Party tensions increase over air strikes against IS in Syria

However, the position of the Labour leadership – and whether they grant their MPs a free vote – could be crucial.

One shadow cabinet member has told Sky News he will resign his portfolio if he is forced to vote against military action. You are sending people out possibly to die.

But staunch Labour Party member Chris Burke, who joined the ranks exactly 40 years ago when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, and his City of Lincoln colleague Karen Lee each agreed that calls for Mr Corbyn’s resignation were totally wrong at this time.

“I am the deputy leader of the Labour Party with a mandate”, he said.

The party confirmed that Mr Corbyn’s aide Andrew Fisher had had his supension from the Labour party lifted by the ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).

A vote by Mr Cameron on strikes is due before the Christmas parliamentary recess on December 17 which leaves him 14 days to table a motion, but he has said repeatedly that he wants a broad coalition across the House before proceeding any further.

In 2013, Cameron attempted to push airstrikes in Syria through Parliament but was defeated.

The opposition Labour Party, which has not announced its position on Cameron’s plans, is publicly divided on the issue after party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced he would not personally back them.

Mr Hammond said there was growing “momentum” among MPs in support of extending RAF air strikes against IS into Syria.

Mr Cameron confirmed Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond were calling Labour MPs this weekend to try to win their backing.

Senior Labour figures said they expected Mr Corbyn to back away from a fight with his shadow cabinet and order allow MPs to vote with their consciences.

Diane Abbott, the shadow worldwide development secretary, brought solidarity from herself and Jeremy Corbyn.

She said: “There is no shortage of countries bombing Syria, what there is a shortage of is people trying to get a ceasefire on the ground amongst the non-Daesh combatants and unify in the action against them”.

“The shadow cabinet will continue its discussions on Monday and it may be that that is where we end up”, he said. A free vote will seriously damage our standing in the eyes of the public. The president’s comments will be seen as an appeal to Labour MPs wavering over action in Syria.

Finance spokesman John McDonnell, one of Corbyn’s closest allies, has also backed a free vote.

The 2004 attacks saw Al Qaeda-inspired bombers blow up four packed commuter trains and kill 191 people in retaliation for then prime minister Jose Maria Aznar’s decision to join the US-led Iraq invasion.

“I don’t think this is a country that lets others like the French or the Americans defend our interests and protect us from terrorist organizations – we should contribute to that effort”.

“So I am writing to consult you on what you think Britain should do”.

In another apparent attempt to draw on Mr Corbyn’s strong support among the grass roots, a survey emailed out to hundreds of thousands of members and supporters tonight asked for “views on Syria”.

“The person who frankly seems to be letting himself down is Ken Livingstone with the remarks that he makes”.