The issue now is whether what the PM is proposing strengthens, or undermines, our national security.
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Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn had earlier told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg he found the case for strikes “compelling”.
British lawmakers will be given a vote on extending the airstrikes to Syria, but only when the government is sure the bill will not be defeated.
Two groups that track the war – the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees – say the airstrikes hit the highway linking the border town of Azaz with the Bab al-Salameh border crossing with Turkey.
“Jeremy appoints the shadow cabinet – not the other way round”, she said.
Cameron argued military intervention will be legal because UN Security Council Resolution 2249 calls on member states to take “all necessary measures” to “eradicate the safe haven” IS has established in Syria and Iraq.
“Mr. Speaker, throughout our history the United Kingdom has stood up to defend our values and our way of life. We can, and we must, do so again”.
A vote could be held as soon as next week, but will require securing a consensus behind action in the Commons, something the Prime Minister believes is essential to avoid handing IS a propaganda victory. In a sign that a Tory rebellion will be smaller than expected, the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee Crispin Blunt, who rebelled in a vote on military action in August 2013, signalled his support for the airstrikes. Corbyn afterwards set out his opposition to war in a letter to Labour MPs. “The use of these capabilities over Syria would put additional and extreme pressure on the Isis terror network”. However, Mr Corbyn wants Labour to be “unequivocal” in its opposition to war.
He asked seven questions about the impact of bombing Syria in his response to the Prime Minister in the House of Commons.
It is understood that when the Labour leader told his Shadow Cabinet about his stance today just four members backed him, with the majority indicating they intend to defy his orders.
Despite a majority favouring air strikes, the party’s collective position remains undecided.
One at the table said they were staggered at the leader’s inability to try to shape the discussion.
One source described Shadow Cabinet meeting as “awful”.
Mr Corbyn is struggling to contain a shadow cabinet revolt after saying he could not support RAF action against IS.
Several senior party figures are believed to be moving towards supporting further military action after hearing that defence, intelligence and security chiefs have all warned that Britain is now at greater risk if it did not extend airstrikes to degrade the terrorists’ base than if it did.
With little chance of winning a vote on this issue, it seemed the British government was planning to drop its ambition to join the military campaign in Syria. If not, does he believe Kurdish forces or the Free Syrian Army would be in a position to take back territory?
“This must be a matter in which people have the freedom to express their own views”. “I suspect it will be [a free vote]”.
“And we are particularly committed to opening this diplomatic window a little further to include Libya for the reasons President Hollande stated better than I have”, he said.
Those least likely in Raqqa to have deep bomb shelters are the half-million-strong civilian population who, if the PM gets his way, will be slaughtered by bombs and rockets while Isis fighters remain below ground confident that no infantry forces will follow up the aerial bombardment.
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Shadow global development secretary Diane Abbott, shadow communities secretary Jon Trickett and Parliamentary Labour Party chair John Cryer all spoke out to back their leader.
