But many of his party voted with the prime minister, a move which may bring into question Corbyn’s leadership. He was anxious a defeat would tarnish Britain’s reputation among its allies and serve as propaganda for Isis.
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In 2013, Cameron advocated legislation that would have opened the door to United Kingdom military action against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime to deter the use of chemical weapons.
The controversial Government plans were approved by 397 votes to 223 – a majority of 174.
RAF Tornado GR4s, which carry a range of munitions including Paveway IV guided bombs and precision guided Brimstone missiles, based at the Akrotiri base in Cyprus are expected to carry out the first sorties against the extremists.
Returning to Downing Street after attending the opening of worldwide climate change talks in Paris on Monday, Mr Cameron said there was “growing support” across Parliament to intervene against IS – also referred as Isil, Isis or Daesh – in Syria.
At the end of yesterday’s mainly peaceful march, around 200 protesters sat down on Parliament Square, forcing police to physically drag some of them onto the pavement.
He was among 66 Labour MPs who voted with the Government while seven Conservatives opposed the plans for military action.
“We are here faced by fascists”, Mr Benn said, reminding his party that socialists had fought against Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the 1930s.
Meanwhile, leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn, who is anti-war, said the approval of the airstrikes would constitute “yet another ill-fated twist in this never-ending war on terror”.
“We look forward to having British forces flying with the Coalition over Syria, and will work to integrate them into our Coalition Air Tasking Orders as quickly as possible”.
British warplanes are already striking Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS, targets in Iraq, but Cameron believes that by joining the U.S.-led coalition against ISIL targets in Syria the jihadist network’s terrorist capabilities will be further reduced. The prime minister did not do so.
MPs have voted to launch British air strikes against the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria after a Commons debate.
The Prime Minister repeatedly refused to apologise for branding anti-war Labour MPs “terrorist sympathisers” but insisted that he respects those who voted against military action.
Shadow home secretary Hilary Benn was applauded by MPs after urging Labour to “confront the evil” of Islamic State.
According to the Charter, member states are guaranteed the right to “individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs” against it. While the article was initially viewed as applying to attacks by a state, this interpretation was developed to encompass action against non-state armed groups.
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Three former Labour ministers – Alan Johnson, Dame Margaret Beckett and Yvette Cooper – were among MPs making early speeches in favour of extending military action.
