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| Jeremy Corbyn faces threat of shadow cabinet resignations | Jeremy Corbyn faces threat of shadow cabinet resignations |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing the threat of resignations from his shadow cabinet amid a split over his stance on UK air strikes in Syria. | Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing the threat of resignations from his shadow cabinet amid a split over his stance on UK air strikes in Syria. |
| Mr Corbyn has written to his MPs saying he cannot support David Cameron's call to extend bombing operations against so-called Islamic State to Syria. | Mr Corbyn has written to his MPs saying he cannot support David Cameron's call to extend bombing operations against so-called Islamic State to Syria. |
| One unnamed senior frontbencher has warned people could quit if Mr Corbyn orders the shadow cabinet to back him. | One unnamed senior frontbencher has warned people could quit if Mr Corbyn orders the shadow cabinet to back him. |
| Mr Corbyn has pulled out of a campaign visit to Oldham West amid the row. | |
| He had been due to campaign in the constituency later ahead of next week's by-election. | |
| A spokeswoman for him said: "Regrettably Jeremy Corbyn is not now visiting Oldham because matters to do with Syria mean he must return to London." | |
| 'At war headlines' | |
| His stance on Syria has put him at odds with a number of his MPs, with many of Friday's newspaper headlines describing the Labour Party as being "at war" over the issue. | His stance on Syria has put him at odds with a number of his MPs, with many of Friday's newspaper headlines describing the Labour Party as being "at war" over the issue. |
| The prime minister argued in the Commons on Thursday that targeting IS in Syria would make Britain safer. | The prime minister argued in the Commons on Thursday that targeting IS in Syria would make Britain safer. |
| Mr Corbyn's decision to write to Labour MPs setting out his opposition - before the shadow cabinet had reached agreement - was criticised by a senior shadow minister. | Mr Corbyn's decision to write to Labour MPs setting out his opposition - before the shadow cabinet had reached agreement - was criticised by a senior shadow minister. |
| They told the BBC: "There will be resignations among senior members of the shadow cabinet over this." | They told the BBC: "There will be resignations among senior members of the shadow cabinet over this." |
| Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said he found the case for strikes "compelling". | Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn said he found the case for strikes "compelling". |
| However, shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott insisted the shadow cabinet was not entitled to vote down the Labour leader and that she believed they would come to the "right decision". | However, shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott insisted the shadow cabinet was not entitled to vote down the Labour leader and that she believed they would come to the "right decision". |
| She said: "I know what views party members will take if MPs ignore the views of the people at the grassroots and try and take this issue to the brink. | She said: "I know what views party members will take if MPs ignore the views of the people at the grassroots and try and take this issue to the brink. |
| "Jeremy appoints the shadow cabinet - not the other way round. | "Jeremy appoints the shadow cabinet - not the other way round. |
| "You cannot have a shadow cabinet voting down the leader of the Labour Party who has just been elected with the biggest mandate in history." | "You cannot have a shadow cabinet voting down the leader of the Labour Party who has just been elected with the biggest mandate in history." |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor | By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor |
| It's no secret that Jeremy Corbyn is a longstanding opponent of military intervention in the Middle East. After the debate on Thursday he met his shadow cabinet to try to hammer out a common position. | It's no secret that Jeremy Corbyn is a longstanding opponent of military intervention in the Middle East. After the debate on Thursday he met his shadow cabinet to try to hammer out a common position. |
| After a difficult couple of hours it was plain, despite the leader being opposed, that most of the shadow team is in favour of air strikes. So they agreed to disagree, and to talk again after the weekend. | After a difficult couple of hours it was plain, despite the leader being opposed, that most of the shadow team is in favour of air strikes. So they agreed to disagree, and to talk again after the weekend. |
| Then, to the astonishment of some of Mr Corbyn's own team, just a couple of hours later, his office published a letter that made it abundantly clear there is no chance he will back air strikes, and his position is set. | Then, to the astonishment of some of Mr Corbyn's own team, just a couple of hours later, his office published a letter that made it abundantly clear there is no chance he will back air strikes, and his position is set. |
| Making that move has, in the words of one shadow minister, "lit the blue touch paper" in the shadow cabinet. | Making that move has, in the words of one shadow minister, "lit the blue touch paper" in the shadow cabinet. |
| Another said members were so angry they had to be "scraped off the ceiling". | Another said members were so angry they had to be "scraped off the ceiling". |
| Read more from Laura | Read more from Laura |
| Mr Cameron told MPs he would only hold a Commons vote authorising action in Syria if he was certain he could win it - which would depend on persuading Labour MPs to back him. | Mr Cameron told MPs he would only hold a Commons vote authorising action in Syria if he was certain he could win it - which would depend on persuading Labour MPs to back him. |
| The vote could come as soon as next week, with former Tory rebels and some Labour backbenchers indicating they now backed action. | The vote could come as soon as next week, with former Tory rebels and some Labour backbenchers indicating they now backed action. |
| MPs voted against UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in 2013. | MPs voted against UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in 2013. |
| But they did later approve British air strikes against IS extremists in Iraq. | But they did later approve British air strikes against IS extremists in Iraq. |
| 'Freedom to express views' | 'Freedom to express views' |
| Speaking on BBC Question Time, Ken Livingstone, recently appointed to Labour's defence review team, said he suspected its MPs would be given a "free vote" on Syria, meaning they would not be forced to follow a party line. | Speaking on BBC Question Time, Ken Livingstone, recently appointed to Labour's defence review team, said he suspected its MPs would be given a "free vote" on Syria, meaning they would not be forced to follow a party line. |
| The former London mayor said: "You can't force people to vote to kill other people or not to vote to kill them. | The former London mayor said: "You can't force people to vote to kill other people or not to vote to kill them. |
| "This must be a matter in which people have the freedom to express their own views." | "This must be a matter in which people have the freedom to express their own views." |
| Mr Corbyn said the shadow cabinet would continue trying "to reach a common view" on Syria on Monday. | Mr Corbyn said the shadow cabinet would continue trying "to reach a common view" on Syria on Monday. |