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Syria air strikes: Jeremy Corbyn urges MPs to assert authority Syria air strikes: Jeremy Corbyn urges MPs to assert authority
(about 1 hour later)
It is time for Parliament to "assert its authority" over UK military action after it was not consulted over Syrian air strikes, Jeremy Corbyn has said.It is time for Parliament to "assert its authority" over UK military action after it was not consulted over Syrian air strikes, Jeremy Corbyn has said.
The Labour leader told MPs Theresa May had shown "flagrant disregard" for the convention that MPs should be consulted beforehand on foreign interventions.The Labour leader told MPs Theresa May had shown "flagrant disregard" for the convention that MPs should be consulted beforehand on foreign interventions.
He said the PM had "tossed aside" the precedent, set by the 2003 Iraq War vote, because it was "inconvenient".He said the PM had "tossed aside" the precedent, set by the 2003 Iraq War vote, because it was "inconvenient".
Mrs May has insisted the UK action was "morally and legally right". Mrs May said she was "deeply conscious" of the "gravity" of her decision.
Defending her decision during six hours of debate on Monday, she said there was evidence the Assad government was behind the chemical weapons attack in Douma, which triggered the UK, US and French strikes. But she said that while in some circumstances it was "absolutely right and appropriate" for Parliament to debate military action beforehand, this could sometimes prevent the armed forces from acting "quickly and decisively".
MPs are now considering Parliament's role in approving military action in Syria in an emergency debate secured by Mr Corbyn, who has accused the PM of by-passing Parliament. After six hours of debate on Monday, MPs are considering Parliament's role in approving military action in Syria in an emergency debate secured by Mr Corbyn, who has accused the PM of by-passing Parliament.
Labour leader Mr Corbyn said the decision to authorise air strikes without Parliament's approval set a precedent for possible, more dangerous action in the future. He said the decision to authorise air strikes without Parliament's approval set a precedent for possible, more dangerous action in the future.
He said the debate was needed to clarify the government's obligation to consult MPs before military intervention, which is the current convention. He said the debate was needed to clarify the government's obligation to consult MPs before military intervention, which has been a convention since the Iraq invasion of 2003.
BBC political correspondent Alex Forsyth said Tuesday's debate was not expected to result in a binding vote, but could inflict some political damage. "It seems the convention established in 2003 and in the cabinet manual is being tossed aside as simply being inconvenient," he said.
Even some MPs who supported Mrs May's decision to order strikes expressed frustration that Parliament was bypassed. Calling for a new War Powers Act that would require Parliament to be consulted on military intervention, Mr Corbyn said this "is an essential, vital development of hundreds of years of democratic development and parliamentary accountability".
On Monday, Mr Corbyn said the government must be "accountable to this Parliament and not to the whims of this US president". It was for the Commons "to take matters into its own hands and take back our control", he said.
He questioned who was responsible for the attack, saying that while it was "highly likely" the Assad regime was behind it, other groups had carried out similar attacks. Mrs May said she had made a statement to Parliament "at the first opportunity" to take MPs' questions, and responded angrily to a Labour suggestion that US President Donald Trump had been given more of a say than the UK Parliament.
But some Labour MPs backed the decision to launch air strikes. "Let no-one in this House be in any doubt that neither I nor this government take instructions from any president or any other national government," she said, adding that the government only acted in the national interest.
Mrs May said it was in the UK's national interest to act - insisting that "we have not done this because President Trump asked us to but because it was the right thing to do". At the end of the debate, MPs are not expected to vote explicitly on whether they back the action, but will be asked whether they have "considered Parliament's rights in relation to the approval of military action by British forces overseas".
Monday's debate ended with a vote, forced by the SNP, on whether the House had sufficiently debated the matter of Syria. Labour is expected to oppose this motion to register its dissatisfaction at the way the process has been handled.
The government won the motion by 314 to 36 votes, a majority of 278, with Labour abstaining.
Sites near Damascus and Homs were hit on Saturday by the US, French and UK in response to the alleged chemical attack on Douma on 7 April.Sites near Damascus and Homs were hit on Saturday by the US, French and UK in response to the alleged chemical attack on Douma on 7 April.
It is thought President Bashar al-Assad's regime had been stockpiling materials used to make chemical weapons at those sites, the Ministry of Defence said.It is thought President Bashar al-Assad's regime had been stockpiling materials used to make chemical weapons at those sites, the Ministry of Defence said.
Both Syria, which denies any chemical use, and Russia, which provides military support to the Syrian government, have reacted angrily to the action.Both Syria, which denies any chemical use, and Russia, which provides military support to the Syrian government, have reacted angrily to the action.
Downing Street published its legal case for its part in the strikes, stating that the action was legally justified on humanitarian grounds.Downing Street published its legal case for its part in the strikes, stating that the action was legally justified on humanitarian grounds.
The UK and US have said the strikes were successful, with President Trump warning the US is "locked and loaded" for further action if there are more chemical attacks.The UK and US have said the strikes were successful, with President Trump warning the US is "locked and loaded" for further action if there are more chemical attacks.
On Saturday, the UN Security Council rejected a resolution drafted by Russia, while all Nato allies have given the military action their full support.On Saturday, the UN Security Council rejected a resolution drafted by Russia, while all Nato allies have given the military action their full support.