Demands new laws to curb PM May's right to send SAS on secret missions

Said David Cameron sent special forces to war to get round Commons vote

Loophole 'approved British arms supplies in Libya, Iraq and Saudi Arabia'

Called for new War Powers Act to stop new PM May doing the same thing

New laws to curb Theresa May’s right to send the SAS on secret missions have been demanded by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

In his latest controversial comments on defence, Mr Corbyn said that David Cameron got round the need for a Commons vote to send regular British forces to war – by deploying Special Forces instead.

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He said the loophole had been used to approve covert British military involvement or arms supplies in Libya, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is calling for laws to curb Theresa May's right to send SAS on secret missions

Mr Corbyn – now facing a leadership challenge – called for a new War Powers Act to stop new Prime Minister Mrs May doing the same.

He said: ‘I’m very concerned about this because David Cameron – I imagine Theresa May would say the same – would say parliamentary convention requires a parliamentary mandate to deploy British troops. Except, and they’ve all used the “except”, when Special Forces are involved.’

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Mr Corbyn compared the way Britain had sent Special Forces to Libya without a Commons vote to the way America sent ‘military advisers’ to Vietnam before the disastrous war was approved by the US Congress.

‘The parallel is very serious. Clearly Britain is involved. Either through Special Forces in Libya or arms supplies to Saudi Arabia. We have to have a War Powers Act that is much more watertight on this.’

Asked if the parliamentary doctrine on approving military action should be changed, he told the Middle East Eye Website: ‘Doctrine must include military involvement, not [just] regular forces because the Special Forces argument [drives] a coach and horses through the principle.’

Mr Corbyn said the loophole had been used to approve covert British military involvement or arms supplies in Libya, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia

Labour sources denied Mr Corbyn’s plan would ban the Prime Minister from sending Special Forces on all secret missions without a Commons vote.

‘This is intended to stop the Government getting dragged into war zones and making things worse – like Libya – by sending Special Forces, which can be done without consulting MPs because of a loophole,’ said a Labour insider. ‘It does not mean a prime minister would be forced to get parliamentary approval for every SAS mission.’

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But last night, Tory MP Colonel Bob Stewart – a former British Army commander – said he ‘disagreed entirely’ with Mr Corbyn’s call. He added: ‘You’ve got to give Prime Ministers the right to deploy our Special Forces when they think it’s crucial. They can justify it later.’