Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Labour’s approach to the Syria vote is making a mockery of its MPs

MPs are currently in a cross-party briefing with a number of Cabinet Ministers about tomorrow’s vote on Syria. The Home Secretary, the Foreign Secretary, the Defence Secretary and the International Development Secretary are leading the briefing. Number 10 is very keen to show that MPs have had every opportunity to ask questions, with the Prime Minister’s statement on the Strategic Defence and Security Review last Monday referring to the need for action, as well as his statement in the House on Thursday on his plan for British involvement in air strikes. In that second session, he took questions from 103 MPs.

The government has also tried to make it as easy as possible for Labour MPs to support the motion tomorrow, trying to answer the four points set out in the party’s conference motion in the text tabled for debate for tomorrow. Below are the four conditions that the party set in September in bold, with the relevant sections of the government motion below in italics:

Conference believes the Parliamentary Labour Party should oppose any such extension unless the following conditions are met:

1.

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