Fresh doubts emerge over Cameron's claim that 70,000 fighters are ready to help fight against Isil

David Cameron's claims that there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters on the ground in Syria have been thrown into question this afternoon. Labour MP Louise Haigh is among those MPs who now have significant doubts over the claim that is being used to support the case for air strikes. She tweeted, apparently from a meeting with national security adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant: National Security Adviser confirms number of moderates on ground in Syria is 40,000 rest are much more radical Islamists — Louise Haigh MP (@LouHaigh) December 1, 2015 Tory MP Gavin Barwell hit back claiming that she had misinterpreted what she had been told: @LouHaigh That is NOT what he said — Gavin Barwell MP (@GavinBarwellMP) December 1, 2015 But the MP responded confirming that was "exactly" what she had been brief: @GavinBarwellMP that's exactly what he said! Rest are 'radical islamists open to political activity' — Louise Haigh MP (@LouHaigh) December 1, 2015 Earlier today Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson warned that MPs are "yet to be convinced that there is a meaningful political process in place" that could pull together disparate groups in the region. The Telegraph's chief political correspondent Christopher Hope says that this could be a "significant" development on the eve of the vote: This could be significant. Is the Government is wobbling on its 70,000 strong ground army on the eve of the vote? https://t.co/YyQxU9LXGj — Christopher Hope (@christopherhope) December 1, 2015 Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, appearing before the Commons Defence Committee, acknowledged the Government's controversial estimate of 70,000 moderate opposition fighters did not represent a coherent force that could be deployed against IS. But he said that in the "fullness of time" they could be used to take the fight to the extremists on the ground.