Pressure on Corbyn for free vote on Syria

In what is the latest attack since Jeremy Corbyn was overwhelmingly voted by party members to lead Britain’s Labour Party in September, some Labour parliamentarians are attacking his stance against proposed airstrikes in Syria, going as far as threatening to resign.

But the chairman of the foreign affairs committee – which earlier this month released a report urging caution over Syria – said he was now ready to back military action.

“For these and other reasons, I do not believe the prime minister’s current proposal for airstrikes in Syria will protect our security and therefore can not support it”, he added.

They were told by Corbyn on Monday that the Labour Party’s position on Syria would be a “collective decision”, and they are furious that Corbyn bypassed everyone by sending the letter.

The Labour leader has previously indicated he does not want to give the party’s MPs a free vote on the issue, but with the majority of the shadow cabinet reportedly in favour of military action he may have little choice.

British Prime Minister David Cameron urged skeptical lawmakers to back airstrikes on the Islamic State group in Syria.

Image: Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (C) looks at an RAF Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet during his visit to Royal Air Force station RAF Northolt in London, Britain November 23, 2015.

Mr Cameron has also argued it is the right thing to do and Britain’s duty to bomb IS in Syria, given recent terror attacks in Tunisia and Paris as well as other atrocities committed by the militants. “As the murders on the streets of Paris reminded us so starkly, Isil (IS) is not some remote threat”, he said, referring also to the killings of British tourists at a Tunisian beach resort in July by a lone gunman.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, one of Mr Corbyn’s closest allies, appealed for calm, insisting the party was “working through the issues”.

Ronnie Campbell, MP for Blyth Valley, launched a furious attack on Mr Corbyn’s critics, saying: “They make me sick”.

In a live show in London, Blair said that he supported Britain to take strong action against the IS and strike its headquarters, which is in Syria.

Labour MPs have defended party leader Jeremy Corbyn – and warned critics within the party to accept that he was elected Labour leader with an overwhelming mandate from party members and supporters.

However, senior shadow cabinet members have been seeking to defuse an internal party row over the issue, which threatens to split Labour.

Corbyn has reportedly only managed to secure the backing of four out of the 31 members of his Shadow Cabinet in opposing air strikes.

He told a press conference at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Malta: “I do hope that the House of Commons will be able to meet the request of Prime Minister Cameron”.