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| Michael Fallon forced to face MPs over Syria strike | Michael Fallon forced to face MPs over Syria strike |
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| The UK defence secretary, Michael Fallon, will be forced to make an urgent Commons statement next week after it was revealed he failed to tell MPs that he and the prime minister had secretly allowed UK pilots to take part in US-led bombing missions of Isis targets in Syria even though parliament had expressly rejected British military involvement in the country. | The UK defence secretary, Michael Fallon, will be forced to make an urgent Commons statement next week after it was revealed he failed to tell MPs that he and the prime minister had secretly allowed UK pilots to take part in US-led bombing missions of Isis targets in Syria even though parliament had expressly rejected British military involvement in the country. |
| The House of Commons voted against military action in Syria in 2013 and parliamentary authorisation has so far only been given to UK air strikes against Isis in neighbouring Iraq. | The House of Commons voted against military action in Syria in 2013 and parliamentary authorisation has so far only been given to UK air strikes against Isis in neighbouring Iraq. |
| Details of British personnel’s involvement in strikes by allied nations’ forces were revealed on Friday by a freedom of information request by the pressure group Reprieve. | Details of British personnel’s involvement in strikes by allied nations’ forces were revealed on Friday by a freedom of information request by the pressure group Reprieve. |
| The prime minister’s spokeswoman confirmed that upwards of a dozen air crew embedded with US military had been involved in Syria strikes since September, but insisted they were not operating under a British chain of command. | The prime minister’s spokeswoman confirmed that upwards of a dozen air crew embedded with US military had been involved in Syria strikes since September, but insisted they were not operating under a British chain of command. |
| She said: “The PM was aware that UK personnel were involved in US operations and what they were doing.” She insisted their actions were within international law, and part of a joint training exercise. | She said: “The PM was aware that UK personnel were involved in US operations and what they were doing.” She insisted their actions were within international law, and part of a joint training exercise. |
| Related: The Guardian view on bombing Isis in Syria: the UK government should win the argument first | Editorial | |
| Defence sources said 20 British personnel had been involved, including three pilots, flying US F/A-18 Super Hornet twin-engine fighter jets from the carrier USS Carl Vinson. The carrier led strike operations against Isis in the Gulf between October and April. | Defence sources said 20 British personnel had been involved, including three pilots, flying US F/A-18 Super Hornet twin-engine fighter jets from the carrier USS Carl Vinson. The carrier led strike operations against Isis in the Gulf between October and April. |
| The Speaker, John Bercow, is certain to grant an urgent statement to MPs requiring ministers to explain whether they have misled the house, or acted in breach of a parliamentary resolution. | The Speaker, John Bercow, is certain to grant an urgent statement to MPs requiring ministers to explain whether they have misled the house, or acted in breach of a parliamentary resolution. |
| Cameron and Fallon made clear they were considering extending the military air campaign to Syria after the Tunisian beach massacre on 26 June, in which 30 Britons were among the 38 people killed. The pair have indicated that they would seek MPs’ approval for an extension of air strikes into Syria, but no vote is expected before autumn. | Cameron and Fallon made clear they were considering extending the military air campaign to Syria after the Tunisian beach massacre on 26 June, in which 30 Britons were among the 38 people killed. The pair have indicated that they would seek MPs’ approval for an extension of air strikes into Syria, but no vote is expected before autumn. |
| With hundreds of British Muslims travelling to Syria to join Isis, the revelation, and apparent failure to inform British parliamentarians, could be used in Isis propaganda. | With hundreds of British Muslims travelling to Syria to join Isis, the revelation, and apparent failure to inform British parliamentarians, could be used in Isis propaganda. |
| A succession of Commons written and oral answers between November and this summer have failed to tell MPs UK airmen were launching strikes on Syrian positions in US aircraft, and had only confirmed UK air personnel were involved in surveillance or air-to-air refuelling over Syria. | A succession of Commons written and oral answers between November and this summer have failed to tell MPs UK airmen were launching strikes on Syrian positions in US aircraft, and had only confirmed UK air personnel were involved in surveillance or air-to-air refuelling over Syria. |
| Tim Farron, the newly elected Liberal Democrat leader, told the Guardian: “If we have got troops operating in Syria and we are part of air raids then there is no mandate for that. Indeed there was a vote in parliament two years ago that denied that mandate. We cannot fight in Syria to defend democratic values and then fail to live up those values.” | Tim Farron, the newly elected Liberal Democrat leader, told the Guardian: “If we have got troops operating in Syria and we are part of air raids then there is no mandate for that. Indeed there was a vote in parliament two years ago that denied that mandate. We cannot fight in Syria to defend democratic values and then fail to live up those values.” |
| Tom Watson, one of the Labour MPs to have tabled a succession of questions on the scale of UK involvement in Syria, accused the government of sophistry. “It now appears the government has misled MPs and withheld from the House of Commons that the government is involved in military action in Syria that was expressly forbidden by parliament. That is a very serious matter.” | Tom Watson, one of the Labour MPs to have tabled a succession of questions on the scale of UK involvement in Syria, accused the government of sophistry. “It now appears the government has misled MPs and withheld from the House of Commons that the government is involved in military action in Syria that was expressly forbidden by parliament. That is a very serious matter.” |
| Former leader of the SNP and the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, Alex Salmond, described the revelations as extraordinary. | Former leader of the SNP and the party’s foreign affairs spokesman, Alex Salmond, described the revelations as extraordinary. |
| “What we’re apparently seeing from the government is at best the concealment of information and at worse the wilful deception of the democratic representatives of the people. What would have happened, for example, if one of these planes had been shot down and we’d lost a member of our armed forces in these operations? Or even worse ... let’s say Daesh [Isis], a ruthless terrorist organisation, had captured a member of our armed forces that we didn’t even know was engaged in operations,” said Salmond. | “What we’re apparently seeing from the government is at best the concealment of information and at worse the wilful deception of the democratic representatives of the people. What would have happened, for example, if one of these planes had been shot down and we’d lost a member of our armed forces in these operations? Or even worse ... let’s say Daesh [Isis], a ruthless terrorist organisation, had captured a member of our armed forces that we didn’t even know was engaged in operations,” said Salmond. |
| Salmond and Labour separately said they were tabling an urgent questionasking the Speaker to require either Fallon or the prime minister to makea statement. | Salmond and Labour separately said they were tabling an urgent questionasking the Speaker to require either Fallon or the prime minister to makea statement. |
| Meanwhile, Fallon played down the controversy saying there was no mystery that UK forces were embedded in the forces of other nations as it was standard practice. | Meanwhile, Fallon played down the controversy saying there was no mystery that UK forces were embedded in the forces of other nations as it was standard practice. |
| He rejected a Labour suggestion that there was a need for a Commons vote to continue the exercise. Privately Labour is furious because Cameron this week gave the acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, a rare security briefing over the Isis threat on Syria, and gave no hint that UK pilots were already undertaking bombing runs. | He rejected a Labour suggestion that there was a need for a Commons vote to continue the exercise. Privately Labour is furious because Cameron this week gave the acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, a rare security briefing over the Isis threat on Syria, and gave no hint that UK pilots were already undertaking bombing runs. |
| Fallon said: “When we are going to run British military operations in Syria, including strikes, then of course we have said we will go to parliament for approval. But this is different. This is a handful of British pilots who have been embedded with American forces and are part of an American military operation for which the Americans have full approval.” | Fallon said: “When we are going to run British military operations in Syria, including strikes, then of course we have said we will go to parliament for approval. But this is different. This is a handful of British pilots who have been embedded with American forces and are part of an American military operation for which the Americans have full approval.” |
| The justice secretary, Michael Gove, said: “I’m sure there will be some people who will cavil and who will object, but overwhelmingly there are two important things to bear in mind here. | The justice secretary, Michael Gove, said: “I’m sure there will be some people who will cavil and who will object, but overwhelmingly there are two important things to bear in mind here. |
| We need to maintain the strength and durability of the western alliance in the face of Islamist fundamentalism, and we need to deal with Isil [Isis]. | We need to maintain the strength and durability of the western alliance in the face of Islamist fundamentalism, and we need to deal with Isil [Isis]. |
| “As far as I’m concerned, those considerations trump everything.” | “As far as I’m concerned, those considerations trump everything.” |