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Jeremy Corbyn Under Pressure To Give Labour MPs Free Vote On Syria Airstrikes

Corbyn Under Pressure To Give Labour MPs Free Vote On Syria Airstrikes
Ned Simons
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BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses the TUC Conference at The Brighton Centre on September 15, 2015 in Brighton, England. It was Mr Corbyn's first major speech since becoming leader of the party at the weekend and he received a standing ovation from the members of the TUC. (Photo by Mary Turner/Getty Images)
Mary Turner via Getty Images

Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure to allow Labour MPs a free vote on launching military action against Isis in Syria.

Britain is currently carrying out airstrikes against Islamic militants in Iraq. David Cameron has indicated he will ask parliament to allow him to extend those strikes over the border into Syria.

Corbyn has voiced deep skepticism about the idea of an increased bombing campaign, but many Labour MPs agree with the prime minister that strikes against Isis need to be expanded.

One Labour MP told The Huffington Post UK that "he's got to allow a free vote: If he doesn't he could lose half his shadow cabinet".

A shadow cabinet minister told the Sunday Times: "There is a majority in the Commons for airstrikes in Syria if Cameron has a proper plan for targeting Isis. You would get half the shadow cabinet supporting it."

A free vote would mean Labour MPs would be allowed to vote with the government even if Corbyn argued against Cameron's position.

Backing intervention would put Labour MPs at odds with their new leader, who has just ended a stint as chairman of the Stop the War Coalition.

Corbyn was due to speak at the organisation's annual general meeting in central London but pulled out to prepare for Labour's party conference.

Refugees Pepper Sprayed In Serbia
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A migrant girl has face washed after being hit by pepper spray and tear gas (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
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A migrant girl is overcome by pepper spray and tear gas after Hungarian police repelled an attempt by migrants to break the border post gate and pull down the razor wire fence on in Horgos, Serbia. (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
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Hungarian police use pepper spray against migrants at the Horgos border, near the town of Kanjiza after Hungarian authorities closed their border (credit:Srdjan Stevanovic via Getty Images)
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Hungarian police use pepper spray against migrants at the Horgos border (credit:Srdjan Stevanovic via Getty Images)
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A refugee throws a stone towards Hungarian riot police after they used water cannon and pepper spray (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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Hungarian riot police use pepper spray to push back refugees (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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A refugee holding on to his daughter gestures at Hungarian riot police after they used water cannon and pepper spray to push back refugees (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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A refugee woman reacts after Hungarian riot police used pepper spray (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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A refugee reacts during clashes with Hungarian riot police (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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Hungarian police use pepper spray against refugees (credit:Srdjan Stevanovic via Getty Images)
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Hungarian police use pepper spray on migrants (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Hungarian riot police uses water canon and pepper spray to disperse refugees (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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Hungarian riot police use pepper spray (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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A refugee woman wipes her eyes after police used pepper spray and water cannon to push back refugees (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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Hungarian riot police use pepper spray (credit:ARMEND NIMANI via Getty Images)
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Hungarian police use pepper spray at the "Horgos 2" border crossing into Hungary (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Afghan migrants rest on a roadside near Hungary's border fence with Serbia, in Asotthalom. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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An elderly Afghan migrant rests on the ground of a field while she and others being detained by Hungarian police on horses for sneaking through Hungary's border fence with Serbia, in Asotthalom, southern Hungary. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Afghan migrants rest on a roadside near Hungary's border fence with Serbia (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Afghan girl Parisa Sayed Jalil, 4, rests on her father's lap in a field, while they and others are detained by Hungarian police on horses for sneaking through Hungary's border fence with Serbia. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Afghan migrants sit on the ground of a field while being detained by Hungarian police on horses. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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A family from Syria arrive the border between Serbia and Croatia near Tovarnik, eastern Croatia. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Refugees rest near the border station between Serbia and Hungary in Horgos (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Hungarian security forces stand guard as refugees continue waiting on the Serbian - Hungarian border (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Hungarian military cartographers walk by the temporary border fence between Hungary and Serbia in a field near the Serbian and the Romanian borders. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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An Austrian border police man checks a vehicle at the border (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Austrian border police check a vehicle on the highway A4 at the border between Hungary and Austria in Nickelsdorf, Austria. (credit:Ronald Zak/AP)
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Austrian border police check a vehicle at the border between Hungary and Austria in Schachendorf (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Migrants who had arrived on foot from the Salzburg train station in Austria sit under trees in a parking lot after they crossed the border to Germany (credit:Sean Gallup via Getty Images)
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A migrant waiting at the "Horgos 2" border crossing into the Hungary. (credit:Darko Vojinovic/AP)
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Austrian border police check a car on the highway A4 at the border between Hungary and Austria (credit:Ronald Zak/AP)

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn today insisted Labour will not scrap Trident or leave Nato. Corbyn opposes the replacement of the nuclear weapons system and has questioned the role of the international military alliance.

But Benn said Nato was the "conerstone of our security" and insisted he did not see Britain withdrawing. He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "My view is that we need to maintain an independent nuclear deterrent."

He added: "We live in a differently dangerous world now. We need a continuous at sea deterrent. We need to do it in the most cost effective way and that is the view which the Labour party, including the Labour party conference has taken for many years."

Asked if he could serve in the shadow cabinet if the party voted to leave Nato and get rid of Trident, he replied: "I don't think that is going to happen."

Pressed over whether he would support military action in Syria, he told the BBC: "We have said, consistently, if the Government has a proposition we need to look at what that is."

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