United Kingdom opposition divided over Daesh vote

Just minutes before the crunch Shadow Cabinet meeting about the Labour stance on air strikes in Syria, the party has released figures showing an overwhelming majority oppose United Kingdom bombing in Syria.

That inherent tension, one we’ve seen playing out with increasing volume in recent weeks, will reach a climax when Mr Corbyn meets his shadow cabinet and then all MPs later today.

Mr Corbyn said on Monday that MPs would be given a free vote on the issue, although the party’s official position is to oppose military action.

In his interview, Mr Corbyn dismissed intelligence advice that IS was using its territory in Syria to prepare terror atrocities against Britain, arguing “those attacks could be planned anywhere”.

Corbyn has written to his party saying he could not support the case for military action.

Cameron lost a vote in parliament on air strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces in 2013.

His remarks were condemned by Mr Cameron, who said: ‘I have the highest possible regard for the British Armed Forces.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon have been calling lawmakers in the opposition Labour Party to urge them to defy their leader Jeremy Corbyn and back attacks on the Islamist extremist organization’s bases in Syria.

Rylance said bombing IS could ultimately strengthen the group: “I fear we may be playing right into what they want – bombing more civilians and therefore helping them recruit more desperate young men with no other way in responding in their grief than by fighting back”.

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

Asked if he still believed we were “looking at the next prime minister”, Corbyn replied: “I hope you are”.

But it is thought that Mr Corbyn may appeal for the Prime Minister to delay a vote while the concerns of Labour MPs are dealt with.

“I don’t think the case has been made because I don’t think the bombing of Syria will make any difference to the position of Isil/Daesh”.

But it is a hard task for Cameron because his Conservative Party has only a slim majority of 12 seats in the House of Commons, meaning even a minor rebellion among his colleagues could mean a vote on military action is defeated.

Amid a Labour split on the issue, union boss Len McCluskey has accused Mr Corbyn’s opponents of using the issue as the “thin edge to stage a coup”.

Ms Phillips told BBC Radio 4’s The World This Weekend: “If the Labour Party as a collective group of people can not have a consensus position on this, that is very, very lamentable.

There has been no challenge to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership”, a Labour spokesman said in response to the report.

They are emboldened by increasing hostility among the shadow cabinet, the parliamentary party and activists to air strikes.

She discussed the Syria question last night with the anti-war UK Labour leader, whose party is deeply divided over extending the bombing campaign against ISIS, also known as ISIL and Daesh. “The Iraq factor is massive – it’s front and centre” for Labour MPs deciding whether to support action in Syria, according to Victoria Honeyman, an expert on British foreign policy at Leeds University.