No blitz without a vote

As US plans to attack Assad, May warned against joining in until MPs have had a say

THERESA May was last night warned not to press ahead with a strike on Bashar al-Assad’s troops without a Commons vote.

MPs said it would be a ‘huge mistake’ for the PM to bow to pressure from the US and intervene in the Syrian conflict without their backing.

It came as Mrs May and Donald Trump vowed to put an end to chemical weapon attacks in Syria – in a sign the allies could be just days away from striking.

It follows the deaths of dozens, including women and children, in Douma on Saturday in what was believed to be a chemical attack.

Mrs May, Mr Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron agreed yesterday that there would be a retaliation to the attack that has provoked international fury and condemnation.

The US President promised a ‘forceful’ response to the Douma attack and has spoke about options for military intervention.

He has appeared to move forward with plans to hit Syrian regime forces, moving resources towards the Middle East – and putting pressure on Britain to join possible action.

However, Mrs May indicated she needed proof the Syrian dictator was behind the attack before ordering a strike. She said the attack was ‘ another example of the Assad regime’s brutality’ but added the caveat ‘if confirmed’.

MPs have approved air strikes on Islamic State in Syria but not on Russian-backed regime forces.

Since the Iraq War a precedent has been set that all military action abroad is first approved by Parliament.

Last night it remained unclear if Britain would join France and the US with air strikes without recalling MPs from recess. They are due to return on Monday.

Despite many MPs and ministers backing the PM to act without a vote, others warned doing so could trigger a row.

Commons defence committee chairman Julian Lewis, who did not back action against Assad in 2013, said: ‘When we are contemplating military intervention in other people’s conflicts, Parliament ought to be consulted.’

And his fellow Tory MP John Baron said any ‘substantial military commitment’ should be approved by Parliament.

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: ‘ There is a strong case for military action in Syria.

‘We cannot continue to shrug our shoulders as Assad commits despicable crimes against the innocent. But Theresa May would be making a huge mistake if she decides to follow Donald Trump and commit our country to action without consulting our sovereign Parliament first.’

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who sits on the Commons’ foreign affairs committee, said it would be ‘bizarre’ to go ahead with strikes without MPs’ backing, ‘especially since the last two times we looked at this it proved to be highly contentious across all parties’.

Kay Hutchison, US permanent representative to Nato, told Sky News yesterday that Assad ally Russia should ‘do something to stop this kind of genocide’.

Though Mr Trump said on Monday that ‘major decisions’ would be made in the following 24 to 48 hours, Mr Macron said yesterday that France would take the coming days to decide with the US and Britain how to respond.

Other MPs said there did not need to be a vote for what would be a limited ‘one- off ’ strike in response to a chemical attack.

Former aid minister Priti Patel said: ‘Inaction has become a stain on our collective humanity. We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done.’

Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the foreign affairs committee, said that UN and Geneva protocols gave the Government the

‘Crimes against the innocent’

authority to act without a vote.

Aid minister Penny Mordaunt said discussions were ongoing over a possible military response by Britain and its allies that would prevent ‘repeats’.

Yesterday the Mail revealed military chiefs had been instructed to draw up options for a UK strike on Assad’s forces.

The PM chaired a National Security Council meeting, attended by the head of the military, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, during which the Syria crisis was discussed. However, no decision has yet been made on what the British response should be.

The international chemical weapons watchdog said its team was preparing to send a team on a fact-finding mission to Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus.

Meanwhile, Mikhail Gorbachev expressed ‘great concern’ over the mounting tensions in Syria. The ex-Soviet president warned Russia and the US were on the verge of a confrontation.

It came as Russia vetoed a United Nations resolution to create an expert body to determine responsibility for the Syria chemical weapons attacks.