British Parliament votes against British military involvement in Syria
Britain will not be taking part in military action against the Assad regime as Prime Minister David Cameron lost a Commons vote on military action in Syria late last night on the banks of the Thames.
Of the 650 British MPs, 557 voted last night on whether or not Britain should take military action against the Assad regime. 285 voted against and 272 voted in favour. Those against military action won by just 13 votes. The last time a British Prime Minister was defeated over an issue of war and peace was in 1782.
This was a huge blow for the PM, who wanted to take military action. But before he became Prime Minister he did promise that as PM he would consult Parliament over whether or not to take the country to war should the possibility arise, unlike Tony Blair in 2003 over Iraq. And Cameron kept to his word.
This means that the US will either have to go it alone in Syria or alongside France, as Germany also said it will not be involved............................
'Britain must now start soul-searching about its role in the world': Osborne's stark warning as battered Cameron again calls for 'robust response' to Syria despite defeat
- Cameron says he 'understands' public doubts about Middle East conflicts
- PM's authority in Parliament and on world stage dealt unprecedented blow
- Chancellor says UK cannot turn its back on the world's problems
- Pro-war Paddy Ashdown warns Britain is a 'hugely diminished country'
- Labour's Ed Miliband accuses government of 'a rush to war'
- 10 ministers and aides missed crunch vote lost by just 13
By Matt Chorley and James Chapman
30 August 2013
Daily Mail
David Cameron today repeated his call for a 'robust response' to the Syria crisis as he sought to recover from the humiliating Commons defeat last night.
The Prime Minister has been left battered and bruised after MPs refused to support his plan for military intervention against the use of chemical weapons.
Chancellor George Osborne took to the airwaves to warn Britain must now undertake ‘national soul-searching’ about its place in the world.
Bruised: David Cameron continues to argue for a 'robust response' to the Syria crisis as Chancellor George Osborne warned Britain against turning its back on the world
In an extraordinary assault on Mr Cameron's authority, 39 coalition MPs joined Labour in voting against a watered-down Government motion supporting the ‘principle’ of military action.
There were shouts of ‘resign’ from the Labour benches as the result – 285 votes to 272 – was announced to a shocked House of Commons.
But Mr Cameron expressed 'regret' at his failure to persuade more of his MPs to back him, as calls grew for him to sack his chief whip Sir George Young.
The PM said: 'I think it's important we have a robust response to the use of chemical weapons and there are a series of things we will continue to do.
'We will continue to take a case to the United Nations, we will continue to work in all the organisations we are members of - whether the EU, or Nato, or the G8 or the G20 - to condemn what's happened in Syria,' he told Sky News.
'It's important we uphold the international taboo on the use of chemical weapons.
'But one thing that was proposed, the potential - only after another vote - involvement of the British military in any action, that won't be happening.
'That won't be happening because the British Parliament, reflecting the great scepticism of the British people about any involvement in the Middle East, and I understand that, that part of it won't be going ahead.'
The result triggered warnings about the US-UK special relationship amid claims that Britain has been left a 'hugely diminished country'.
It came as the Foreign Office issued new warnings against all but essential travel to Lebanon as a result of 'a heightened risk of anti-Western sentiment in certain countries linked to the possibility of military action in Syria'.
The last time a Prime Minister was defeated over an issue of war and peace was in 1782.
Mr Cameron, who had made a passionate plea for support over proposals for targeted strikes on Damascus after a chemical weapons attack last week, was forced to issue a humiliating climbdown.
His decision to pledge to stand shoulder to shoulder with the US in a planned attack on Syria, and to recall Parliament from its summer recess for an emergency debate, backfired spectacularly.
Chancellor Mr Osborne tried to play down the significance of the result, insisting Tory and Lib Dem rebels who defeated the government had 'sincerely held views'.
But he today raised concern that the UK's place in the world would be undermined by the vote.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think there will be a national soul-searching about our role in the world and whether Britain wants to play a big part in upholding the international system, be that big open and trading nation that I'd like us to be or whether we turn our back on that.
'I understand the deep scepticism that my colleagues in Parliament and many members of the public have about British involvement in Syria.
'I hope this doesn’t become the moment where we turn our back on the world’s problems.'
Chastened: British MPs voted by 272 votes to 285 to reject Prime Minister David Cameron's motion backing British intervention in principle
WHAT A SHAMBLES! 10 MINISTERS FAIL TO TURN UP FOR CRUNCH VOTE
Ten members of David Cameron's government failed to turn up to take part in the vote on military action in Syria which the Prime Minister lost by just 13 votes.
It included two ministers - Justine Greening (pictured) and Mark Simmond - who were chatting in a room near the Commons and claimed not to have heard the division bell to tell them the crunch vote was under way.
But analysis of the voting lists revealed other ministers including Alan Duncan, David Gauke, and Steve Webb were also absent, along with whips Mark Hunter and Jenny Willott.
Ken Clarke, the minister without portfolio, missed the vote for family reasons.
Two ministerial aides also failed to turn up to back the government – Lorely Burt, parliamentary private secretary to Treasury minister Danny Alexander, and Tessa Munt, aide to Business Secretary Vince Cable.
