For immediate release: Tuesday 1st December 2015

Attn: NEWS DESKS / POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTS

ALEX SALMOND: UK GOVERNMENT RUNNING FROM SCRUTINY ON SYRIA

110 MP SIGNATORIES FROM 6 PARTIES BACK AMENDMENT AGAINST SYRIA VOTE

Over one hundred MPs have signed a cross-party amendment against tomorrow’s vote on air strikes in Syria, with key signatories including SNP Westminster Leader Angus Robertson MP, Green MP Caroline Lucas, Hywel Williams of Plaid Cymru, SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell and Labour MP Graham Allen as well as Conservative John Baron MP.

Commenting, Alex Salmond MP said:

“We are seeing an arrogance from David Cameron who believes his ill-conceived plans to add more planes to the 10 countries already bombing Syria will make a difference.

“Support for this amendment against Syria air strikes is cross-party, and so far has 110 signatories. Of course everyone wants to see the end to Daesh, but the UK government has been running scared from scrutiny on their plans which don’t stack up.

“We don’t know how the UK government plans to secure peace in Syria and what ground forces there will be. We know the UK previously spent 13 times more bombing Libya than on its post conflict stability and reconstruction.

“And just two years ago the Prime Minister urged us to bomb the opponents of Daesh that would have likely strengthened this terrorist organisation.

“The influential Foreign Affairs Committee took a wide range of evidence from military experts, academics, lawyers, the Foreign Secretary and Syrian groups. As a result a number of questions were presented to the Prime Minister and today a majority of committee members agreed that these questions had not been answered.”

ENDS

SNP MEDIA 0207 219 1602

Note to Editor:

The cross-party amendment:

Delete after ‘House’ and insert,

‘while welcoming the renewed impetus towards peace and reconstruction in Syria, and the Government’s recognition that a comprehensive strategy against Daesh is required, does not believe that the case for the UK’s participation in the ongoing air campaign in Syria by 10 countries has been made under current circumstances, and consequently declines to authorise military action in Syria.’