Cameron sets date for vote on Syria strikes

David Cameron is to recommend a Commons vote on Wednesday to decide whether the UK should extend its bombing campaign against the Islamic State group into Syria.

The British Prime Minister said in a statement on Monday evening that he would put his plan to Cabinet at its regular Tuesday meeting. The statement came hours after the leader of the opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, said he would allow his MPs a free vote on the issue.

Cameron said: "I can announce that I will be recommending to Cabinet tomorrow that we hold a debate and a vote in the House of Commons to extend the air strikes that we have carried out against ISIL in Iraq to Syria, that we answer the call from our allies and work with them because ISIL is a threat to our country and this is the right thing to do."

"I want MPs to be able to have full consideration, to make speeches, to make points, to ask me questions, to examine the government's case."

Corbyn, who opposes more bombing, had asked for a two-day debate before any vote is held. Labour said the vote should not be held until next week at the earliest.

Cameron has previously said that he would not hold any Commons vote until he was sure a "clear majority" of MPs backed an extension.

The British prime minister made the case for extending the bombing campaign during a speech to the house last Thursday, saying that it was a matter of national security.

Many predict that the ealier decision to allow Labour MPs a free vote - rather than being told to vote against - could make bombing more likely. Some Labour MPs are thought to support extending air strikes against IS.

Corbyn met his shadow cabinet for two hours on Monday, voicing his own staunch opposition to any air campaign over Syria.

Following the meeting a Labour spokesman said the shadow cabinet had "agreed to back Jeremy Corbyn's recomendation of a free vote on the Government's proposal to authorise UK bombing in Syria".

The statement highlighted "unanswered questions" in the Prime Minister's case for bombing, such as how an extended campaign would affect efforts to end Syria's civil war and which troops on the ground Britain would be backing in the anti-IS fight.

The shadow cabinet meeting came shortly after Corbyn's office released the results of a survey showing what it said was overwhelming opposition to bombing among party members.

The survey, ordered by Corbyn, received 107,875 responses, of which 64,771 were confirmed as full individual Labour Party members.

Labour consultation has attracted almost 110,000 replies. 75 percent of members say #DontBombSyriapic.twitter.com/DWntwKbKKO

— JeremyCorbyn4PM (@JeremyCorbyn4PM) November 30, 2015

An analysis of 1,900 responses showed, with rounding, that 75 percent were opposed to bombing, 13 percent favoured air strikes and 11 percent were undecided.

Conservative Chancellor George Osborne accused opponents of air strikes of "handing over" responsibility for national security.

"This is not about the internal politics of the Labour Party, this is about the internal security of our country," he said.

"We have always been prepared to defend ourselves and we should do so on this occasion."

Cameron was defeated in 2013 when the Commons voted against a proposal to launch air strikes targeting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in a motion brought after a deadly chemical gas attack killed hundreds of civilians.