In wake of UN vote for action against Isis, Jeremy Corbyn insists ‘enthusiasm for interventions has only multiplied the threats to us’

Jeremy Corbyn appeared to be on a collision course with his own shadow cabinet and dozens of backbench Labour MPs on Saturday after saying the atrocities in Paris made the case for a “negotiated settlement” in Syria, rather than military action against Isis.



The Labour leader – a long-term opponent of western military interventions – appears increasingly at odds with senior figures in the party, including shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn and deputy leader Tom Watson. Both see a unanimous vote by the United Nations on Friday night, calling on all member states to take “all necessary measures” against Isis, as giving potential legal cover for airstrikes in Syria if they are part of a comprehensive plan to bring peace to the region.

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Cameron will respond to concerns about military intervention expressed earlier this month by the foreign affairs select committee before the end of this week, spelling out his case for UK participation in strikes in Syria against Isis. The prime minister will say Britain has the most accurate weapons available for killing jihadists and lay out three legal grounds for war. He will also warn that the UK must be a “good ally” to France and the US if it is to be taken seriously by Gulf nations.

However, in a speech to Labour activists in the south-west, Corbyn – although he welcomed the UN vote – struck a different note. While saying that he would examine any proposals brought forward by David Cameron, he added: “In our view, the dreadful Paris attacks make the case for a far more urgent international effort … to reach a negotiated settlement of the Syrian civil war – and end the threat from Isis.”

While he said “absolutely nothing can justify the targeting of civilians, by anyone, anywhere”, Corbyn added: “The experience of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya has convinced many of our own people that the elite’s enthusiasm for endless military interventions has only multiplied the threats to us – while leaving death and destabilisation in their wake.

“It is the conflict in Syria and the consequences of the Iraq war which have created the conditions for Isis to thrive and spread its murderous rule.”

On Monday, David Cameron will travel to Paris for talks about how to combat the Isis threat with French president François Hollande. Cameron has made it clear he wants to push for a parliamentary vote on airstrikes against Isis in Syria, but has stressed that he will only do so if and when he can be sure he will win.

Benn has given his support for the UN vote, saying: “The security council resolution must be seen as part of an overall effort to accelerate moves towards a comprehensive settlement of the conflict in Syria.”

Watson indicated that the shadow cabinet could back military strikes under strict conditions, and said it was for the shadow cabinet, not the leader, to decide.

“There is now a United Nations resolution calling for action against Isis by any and all means,” he said. “The fact it was passed unanimously last night demonstrates how seriously the international community believes the threat posed by Isis to be.

“Our shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, has set out the conditions that must be met in order for us to back any action. It is for the shadow cabinet to make a final collective decision on the issue as well as our whipping arrangements.

“We can only do that after careful consideration once the prime minister has outlined exactly how the UK might contribute to the international effort against Isis.”

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Many of Corbyn’s most senior party colleagues, including his close ally John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, now want the Labour leader to grant his MPs a free vote if and when the issue is brought before parliament – a proposal Corbyn has so far rejected.

John Woodcock, the chairman of Labour’s backbench defence committee, said: “Jeremy’s words in favour of the principle of a free vote in 2013 – not just for a particular conflict but in all conflicts – will be very hard for him to retract.” Woodcock added that many backbench MPs would back military strikes following the UN vote.

“Many Labour MPs will see it as a sign that the international community endorses action in Syria. There is a significant number of MPs who will want to support greater action as long as there’s a sense that the international community is united.”

After a dreadful week for the Labour leadership, it emerged that former frontbencher Jamie Reed has written to Corbyn, and the parliamentary Labour party (PLP), castigating the new leadership after it “again conspired to occupy the national news headlines this week with a series of damaging and self-inflicted stories”.

Reed said Corbyn must now promise Labour MPs that they can vote with their conscience on any future Commons debate on military intervention in Syria, in order to repair the damage and ensure unity.

In the letter Reed writes: “Clearly, any proposals brought forward by the government need to be considered, without prejudice and in forensic detail.

“It is not sensible to insist upon a whipped vote in the knowledge that such a move will likely mean that a significant number of colleagues will break the whip as a matter of conscience.

“Matters such as this – as your own voting record shows – will always be subject to individual conscience irrespective of the party whip.

“In short, a whipped vote with regard to any potential British involvement in Syria looks like a deliberate and calculated attempt to engineer a damaging and avoidable conflict within the PLP.”

Meanwhile the Labour MP for Bassetlaw, John Mann, described the former London mayor and key ally of Corbyn, Ken Livingstone, as a “bigot” or “bigoted” seven times on an LBC radio show on Saturday.

He also said Livingstone was a “bully” for suggesting Labour MP Kevan Jones had mental health problems, after Jones derided Livingstone’s appointment as co-chair of Labour’s defence review. Livingstone has since issued an apology.