Benn’s dramatic call to arms cuts down Corbyn

HILARY Benn became a rallying point for moderate Labour MPs last night with an electrifying speech supporting RAF air strikes on Syria.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary’s barnstorming performance dealt a shattering blow to the authority of Mr Corbyn, who sat stony faced behind his colleague.

Labour MPs queued up after the debate to have their Commons order papers signed by Mr Benn, as the Labour leader sat on the front bench ignoring him.

SNP leader Alex Salmond suggested Mr Benn’s late intervention had swayed up to 20 wavering Labour MPs to back the case for military action.

Mr Benn had his odds slashed to become the next Labour leader this week after he forced Mr Corbyn to back down and give Labour MPs a free vote.

His extraordinary speech has now made him almost unsackable, despite the deep divisions with Mr Corbyn.

The Labour leader’s spokesman tried to put a brave face on things last night, saying the events of the past few days had ‘demonstrated his leadership and increased his authority’.

He added that Mr Benn had ‘set out the minority view effectively’.

MP Stella Creasy decided to back the Government following the Shadow Foreign Secretary’s speech. She tweeted: ‘Hilary Benn’s speech has persuaded me that fascism must be defeated.’

Rumours circulated on social media that dozens more previously undecided Labour MPs were swayed by Mr Benn. Labour MP Lucy Powell wrote: I am so moved by that incredible and powerful speech.’

In his speech, Mr Benn accused Mr Corbyn of abandoning Labour’s anti-fascist traditions.

Mr Benn, son of Mr Corbyn’s late mentor Tony Benn, said refusal to act in Syria would be a betrayal of Labour’s long tradition of fighting fascism – and a failure in its duty to act to protect Britain’s national security against terrorism.

He demolished his party leader’s argument, saying: ‘It has been said that air strikes have achieved nothing. Not so. Fourteen months ago they were almost at the gates of Baghdad – look at how their capacity to act has been hindered.’

Mr Benn said it was clear Islamic State wanted to attack Britain and that the young people slaughtered in the Bataclan concert hall ‘could have been our children’.

Addressing his own MPs, Mr Benn said: ‘We never have, and we never should, walk by on the other side of the road. We are here faced by fascists – not just their calculated brutality, but their belief they are superior to every one of us.

‘They hold us in contempt, they hold our values in contempt, they hold our democracy in contempt.

‘We must now confront this evil. It is now time for us to do our bit in Syria.’

As he sat down, MPs broke into applause in breach of Commons conventions.

We are faced by fascists. Not just their brutality but their belief that they are superior to every single one of us and all of the people that we represent. They hold us in contempt. They hold our values in contempt. They hold our belief in tolerance and decency in contempt. They hold our democracy in contempt. And what we know about fascists is that they need to be defeated. We must now confront this evil Hilary Benn