However, Corbyn’s Labour Party, which has not announced its position on Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans, is publicly divided on the issue. Hove MP Peter Kyle yesterday told the Westminster Hour programme that he had made up his mind and that “the whip is irrelevant to me now”.
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He could issue a whip to his MPs to vote against Mr. Cameron’s proposal, or allow each to vote on his/her conscience.
The Stop The War Coalition said in a statement: “The proposed vote in Parliament on bombing Syria by British forces is likely to take place within the next week”.
“The Iraq factor is massive – it’s front and centre” for Labour MPs deciding whether to support action in Syria, according to Victoria Honeyman, an expert on British foreign policy at Leeds University.
But Ms Abbott dismissed the threat of her party splitting apart.
I do know that Jeremy does not want to have either sackings or resignations. I think China would jump at the opportunity to be involved because it would bring them on to the global stage.
Shortly before the potentially-explosive meeting of the shadow cabinet, Labour released analysis of a survey of members apparently indicating overwhelming opposition to extending the RAF’s bombing campaign from Iraq into Syria.
Mr McCluskey defended Mr Corbyn for canvassing party members.
He said: “The problem that I think Jeremy has got, the problem that the leader of the opposition has, is that he has never abided by the discipline of the leader or of the shadow cabinet”.
It will be the first chance many backbenchers have had to quiz Mr Corbyn in person over his letter to them on Thursday night, which set out his personal view that he remained unconvinced of the case for war and “cannot support it”.
Mr Corbyn made it clear he had the final say on a whip or a free vote. “We don’t want to hand IS a publicity coup”.
Ms Smith denounced “utterly outrageous” comments directed on social media by opponents of air strikes at MPs including Harriet Harman, adding: “I have not felt bullied because I am capable of withstanding whatever comes at me on Twitter, but I do feel that some MPs are in danger of being bullied”.
But because of the disarray in the Labour Party over airstrikes, the Government is still uncertain about when the Syria motion will be put to MPs.
As for the warmongers in the Parliamentary Labour Party, I pray Corbyn persuades them to oppose this unseemly rush to war.
To recap where we are: Mr Corbyn opposes Syrian air strikes along with a handful of his senior colleagues.
Bombing would lead inevitably to civilian casualties and risks making the situation “worse, not better”, he said, stressing that he had the backing of the party membership and would seek the support of Labour’s NEC.
“We’d like to have a vote for military action but we’ve got to keep building the case”, Fallon told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show. His remarks indicated that the Labour leadership is inclined toward allowing a free vote on the issue. I’ll find out what MPs think, obviously there are strong views on both directions, we’ll have a further discussion about this.
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Whether it is wise of Mr Danczuk to continually use (some say be used by) the right wing press to try and usurp Mr Corybn after his landslide victory in the Labour leadership contest is a question that many are asking and will only be answered in time.
