Tomorrow, Labour will try out something curious during the Commons debate on airstrikes in Syria. The opposition side of the debate will be opened by Jeremy Corbyn, who will argue against airstrikes, and later closed by Hilary Benn, who will make the case for them. This may sound all very dynamic and different but there is a simple and important question ordinary folks will be wondering: what is Labour’s policy on Syrian airstrikes?
On the Today programme, the shadow foreign secretary said he is in favour of the strikes because ‘there is a clear and present threat from Isil Daesh’ and called for respect from the opposing sides within Labour – possibly in response to Corbynite MP Clive Lewis, who has warned pro-strike colleagues ‘on their heads be it’:
‘Because people of principle can reach different decisions about how to deal with the threat. People of conscience have reached different views about what the right thing to do is and those views are sincerely held and we should respect them.’
Benn also defended Corbyn’s decision to have a free vote:
‘I think it is to the great credit of Jeremy as leader that he has recognised that there is a difference of view on this most important of questions and we have decided, he has decided, we are going to have a free vote’.
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