David Cameron Warned Against Voting For Airstrikes In Syria

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David Cameron was warned by Tory MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee not to press ahead with a vote on UK air strikes against ISIS in Syria.

The influential Commons committee, have said that the prime minister should instead focus efforts on ending the civil war in Syria. The committee, which has a Conservative majority, also raised concerns about the legal basis for any UK action.

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The BBC reports:

Downing Street has strongly denied reports Mr Cameron has abandoned plans for a vote altogether.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said there had to be a political solution and he did not believe that “more bombing is going to help in this”.

The Times and the Guardian are claiming the prime minister has decided against a second vote on the issue because he lacks MPs’ support.

A Downing Street source told the BBC the reports were “complete nonsense”.

The committee of MPs said no vote should take place on Syria until the government presents a “coherent international strategy” to defeat Islamic State (IS) and end the country’s civil war.

The Foreign Affairs Committee said it was “not yet persuaded” ministers could address its concerns.

A vote on extending RAF air strikes into Syria had widely been expected to take place in the autumn, although the prime minister had stressed he would only do so when he was sure of a “consensus” among MPs.

About 20-30 Conservative MPs were expected to rebel against their party in the event of a vote.

Mr Cameron was defeated in a 2013 vote on possible UK military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government by 285-272.