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| Syria airstrikes: how the parties at Westminster would vote | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| How the parties at Westminster would line up for a vote on extending airstrikes to Syria: | |
| Conservatives – 330 MPs (working majority of 16) | Conservatives – 330 MPs (working majority of 16) |
| The Conservatives are for the most part united behind David Cameron on the plan to extend airstrikes to Syria. The whips are hoping for fewer than the 30 who rebelled when the prime minister tried to get his last Syria vote through the Commons to do the same this time. | The Conservatives are for the most part united behind David Cameron on the plan to extend airstrikes to Syria. The whips are hoping for fewer than the 30 who rebelled when the prime minister tried to get his last Syria vote through the Commons to do the same this time. |
| About 15 have said they will not back the government, including the former army officer John Baron. But, significantly, during the Commons debate one influential Tory - Crispin Blunt, chairman of the foreign affairs committee - who had previously expressed scepticism about air strikes said he now supported Cameron. | |
| Labour – 231 MPs | Labour – 231 MPs |
| Labour is split on the issue, despite having an official position that they want a peace settlement, but will not rule out military action if Cameron makes a convincing case. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have made clear they are not in favour of bombing. | |
| Much of the rest of the shadow cabinet, including the shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn, sound much more open to the idea if Cameron is persuasive. The shadow cabinet will try to come to a collective position on Thursday afternoon but if it cannot, Corbyn will have to decide whether to give his team a free vote or risk resignations. | |
| Dozens of backbenchers are leaning towards voting with the government but they are likely to come under some pressure from local Momentum groups and some constituency parties not to back war as they make up their minds over the weekend. | Dozens of backbenchers are leaning towards voting with the government but they are likely to come under some pressure from local Momentum groups and some constituency parties not to back war as they make up their minds over the weekend. |
| Related: Syria airstrikes vote: Cameron haunted by previous defeat | |
| Liberal Democrats – 8 MPs | Liberal Democrats – 8 MPs |
| The party wants the government to meet five tests before it will agree to back the bombing. These include: legality, which it believes is met by the UN resolution; creation of a post-Islamic State plan; work towards a no-bomb zone for civilians; put pressure on Gulf states to get more involved; and carry out a domestic investigation into jihadi funding. | |
| The SNP – 54 MPs (plus 2 without the whip) | The SNP – 54 MPs (plus 2 without the whip) |
| The SNP is sceptical about the need for UK involvement in the bombing of Syria and appears likely to vote against, but is willing to listen to the prime minister’s case. | |
| A spokesman said: “The case for airstrikes in Syria has not been made. However, the SNP is prepared to listen to the prime minister’s case on military intervention as well as its legality. He must address the efficacy of military intervention and how it will contribute to a wider initiative to end civil war and secure reconstruction.” | A spokesman said: “The case for airstrikes in Syria has not been made. However, the SNP is prepared to listen to the prime minister’s case on military intervention as well as its legality. He must address the efficacy of military intervention and how it will contribute to a wider initiative to end civil war and secure reconstruction.” |
| DUP – 8 MPs | DUP – 8 MPs |
| The party has signalled it is probably prepared to back the military action. Nigel Dodds said this week: “We have always said we can back British military force, provided it is realistic and in the national interest … The scene is set for our action being just that. It falls to David Cameron to show us that it will be. Not least, he will need to show that we will get right the things we got wrong in Libya.” | The party has signalled it is probably prepared to back the military action. Nigel Dodds said this week: “We have always said we can back British military force, provided it is realistic and in the national interest … The scene is set for our action being just that. It falls to David Cameron to show us that it will be. Not least, he will need to show that we will get right the things we got wrong in Libya.” |