Britain Joins War On ISIS: UK Parliament Backs Air Strikes In Iraq Against 'Psychopathic Terrorists' But Not In Syria

 

 

Britain is to join air strikes against ISIS militants in Iraq after MPs voted overwhelmingly by 524 to 43 to back military action.

Six RAF Tornados are expected to join war planes from the US, France and Arab nations after Parliament staged a six-hour emergency debate on UK intervention.

David Cameron insisted Britain cannot 'walk on by' in the face of the threat posed by 'psychopathic terrorists'.

But divisions emerged over expanding action into neighbouring Syria, with Labour leader Ed Miliband insisting a UN Security Council resolution should be sought first, even though Russia and China are certain to veto it.

Prime Minister David Cameron warned ISIS has behaved with 'staggering brutality' as he opened the debate ahead of the vote in Parliament

MPs tonight backed the Government's plans to join air strikes against ISIS in Iraq by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - after more than six hours of debate in an emergency recall of Parliament today

The PM left Parliament tonight after MPs backed the Government motion authorising military action against ISIS in Iraq

Britain joins war on ISIS: UK Parliament backs air strikes in Iraq against 'psychopathic terrorists' but not in Syria

British Tornados could start bombing ISIS bases within hours of the vote  

Prime Minister said Britain could not 'walk on by' in face of ISIS threat

He urged and won overwhelming support for military action against militants

But warned mission will take 'not just months but years' as debate begins

Just 43 MPs voted against airstrikes, including around 24 Labour members

Labour MP Rushanara Ali quits frontbench to abstain from voting

Shadow defence secretary sacks aide Iain McKenzie for voting against action

Came after Ed Miliband backed Iraq action but not action against Syria 

Commons motion rules out action in neighbouring Syria without a vote  

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby backs military action in Iraq

Britain is to join air strikes against ISIS militants in Iraq after MPs voted overwhelmingly by 524 to 43 to back military action.

Six RAF Tornados are expected to join war planes from the US, France and Arab nations after Parliament staged a six-hour emergency debate on UK intervention
 

David Cameron insisted Britain cannot 'walk on by' in the face of the threat posed by 'psychopathic terrorists'.

But divisions emerged over expanding action into neighbouring Syria, with Labour leader Ed Miliband insisting a UN Security Council resolution should be sought first, even though Russia and China are certain to veto it.

Prime Minister David Cameron warned ISIS has behaved with 'staggering brutality' as he opened the debate ahead of the vote in Parliament

 MPs tonight backed the Government's plans to join air strikes against ISIS in Iraq by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - after more than six hours of debate in an emergency recall of Parliament today
 

The PM left Parliament tonight after MPs backed the Government motion authorising military action against ISIS in Iraq

MPs back Government plans to join air strikes against ISIS

MPs were recalled to Westminster today to vote on British involvement in air strikes against ISIS - also known as Islamic State or ISIL - in Iraq, at the request of the Iraqi government.
 

Of the 43 MPs who voted against the intervention, around 24 were from Labour, including shadow education minister Rushanara Ali who resigned from the party's front bench because she could not back airstrikes.

It also emerged shortly after the vote that the shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker had sacked his parliamentary aide, the Labour MP Iain McKenzie, for voting against military action.

 

RAF Tornados have been stationed in Cyprus for the past six weeks and have been flying surveillance flights over northern Iraq. An RAF C-130 was also seen landing at RAF Akrotiri, an air base near Limassol
 

They could begin dropping bombs and missiles within hours of the Prime Minister giving the orders.
 

Britain joins war on ISIS: UK Parliament backs air strikes in Iraq against 'psychopathic terrorists' but not in Syria

British Tornados could start bombing ISIS bases within hours of the vote  

Prime Minister said Britain could not 'walk on by' in face of ISIS threat

He urged and won overwhelming support for military action against militants

But warned mission will take 'not just months but years' as debate begins

Just 43 MPs voted against airstrikes, including around 24 Labour members

Labour MP Rushanara Ali quits frontbench to abstain from voting

Shadow defence secretary sacks aide Iain McKenzie for voting against action

Came after Ed Miliband backed Iraq action but not action against Syria 

Commons motion rules out action in neighbouring Syria without a vote  

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby backs military action in Iraq

Britain is to join air strikes against ISIS militants in Iraq after MPs voted overwhelmingly by 524 to 43 to back military action
 

Six RAF Tornados are expected to join war planes from the US, France and Arab nations after Parliament staged a six-hour emergency debate on UK intervention.

David Cameron insisted Britain cannot 'walk on by' in the face of the threat posed by 'psychopathic terrorists'.

But divisions emerged over expanding action into neighbouring Syria, with Labour leader Ed Miliband insisting a UN Security Council resolution should be sought first, even though Russia and China are certain to veto it.

Prime Minister David Cameron warned ISIS has behaved with 'staggering brutality' as he opened the debate ahead of the vote in Parliament

MPs tonight backed the Government's plans to join air strikes against ISIS in Iraq by 524 to 43 - a majority of 481 - after more than six hours of debate in an emergency recall of Parliament today

The PM left Parliament tonight after MPs backed the Government motion authorising military action against ISIS in Iraq

MPs back Government plans to join air strikes against ISIS
 

MPs were recalled to Westminster today to vote on British involvement in air strikes against ISIS - also known as Islamic State or ISIL - in Iraq, at the request of the Iraqi government.
 

Of the 43 MPs who voted against the intervention, around 24 were from Labour, including shadow education minister Rushanara Ali who resigned from the party's front bench because she could not back airstrikes.

It also emerged shortly after the vote that the shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker had sacked his parliamentary aide, the Labour MP Iain McKenzie, for voting against military action.

RAF Tornados have been stationed in Cyprus for the past six weeks and have been flying surveillance flights over northern Iraq. An RAF C-130 was also seen landing at RAF Akrotiri, an air base near Limassol.

They could begin dropping bombs and missiles within hours of the Prime Minister giving the orders.
 

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A widespread consensus emerged on the principle of air strikes in Iraq, even backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. But there were repeated calls for the action to be replicated in Syria.

Mr Miliband said it would be 'better' to seek a UN Security Council resolution on action in Syria.

 

This is about psychopathic terrorists who are trying to kill us. Like it or not they have already declared war on us

 

Prime Minister David Cameron 

But former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the demand was 'wholly pointless', as MPs from across the political spectrum said it made no sense to not to include Syria in today's vote. 

Opening the debate, Mr Cameron said: 'There is no more serious issue than asking our armed forces to put themselves in harm's way to protect our country.' 

He insisted British involvement in military action in Iraq was necessary and in the national interest, working with local partner countries to build an international coalition.

He admitted the 2003 invasion of Iraq by Tony Blair's government 'hangs heavy' over the Commons, but warned today's situation is 'very different'. 

'This is not 2003, we must not use past mistakes as an excuse for indifference or inaction,' the PM added.