Clarke: MPs must be consulted on Syria

Warning to May amid push for vote next week

KEN Clarke last night warned Theresa May she would be taking a ‘very retrograde step’ if she failed to consult MPs over military action in Syria.

As opposition parties threatened to force a potentially explosive retrospective vote next week unless the Prime Minister backs down, the former Chancellor led Tory calls for Mrs May to seek consent from Parliament first.

Amid signs of a growing revolt, the Father of the House, who has served in the Commons since 1970, told BBC Radio 4’s World at One of the dangers of ‘sidelining’ rank and file MPs.

‘In a modern, parliamentary democracy, I think you have got to have parliamentary approval if you have a planned, policy decision to launch a military attack of any significant size,’ he said.

‘To say that Parliament is just sidelined before you take such a serious decision is a very retrograde step. It makes parliamentary accountability fairly pathetic.’ Meanwhile, a senior member of the Democratic Unionist Party, the allies keeping the Prime Minister in power, joined criticism of her plan not to hold a Commons vote before retaliating against Bashar al-Assad.

MP Sammy Wilson, who is the party’s Treasury spokesman, told the Daily Mail: ‘I really think there should be a Commons vote on it as it’s a very significant step for the Government to take. There is Parliamentary precedent on these matters but I suspect that the Prime Minister’s already made up her mind.

‘Personally, I would vote not to take action. But I suspect that the party might take a different view. If this happens, I would listen to the arguments but I don’t think we should intervene.’

Tory MPs Philip Davies, Martin Vickers and Adam Holloway – who all voted against strikes on Assad when they were proposed by David Cameron in 2013 – also said Mrs May should seek approval from the Commons. Fellow Tory Zac Goldsmith added: ‘Parliament must be involved before any military action is agreed.’

Yesterday, the SNP warned Mrs May it could use an opposition day debate to force a Commons vote on the issue after MPs return to Westminster on Monday. While the strikes would likely to have already taken place, it could prove to be hugely embarrassing for the Prime Minister. The party’s defence spokesman, Stewart McDonald, said: ‘We will actively consider that [staging a vote] depending on how events pan out over the next couple of days.’

Since the Iraq War, a precedent has been set that all military action abroad is first approved by Parliament, but Tory Party deputy chairman James Cleverly told Sky News last night: ‘It is a very, very recent phenomenon that the Parliament is consulted prior to military action, only really in the last few years since Gordon Brown was prime minister. Prior to that for many, many centuries it has been the decision of the Government rather than of Parliament.’

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable yesterday demanded a Privy Council briefing on the Government’s intelligence case for military action prior to any strikes against Syria. But John Woodcock, who is chairman of the Labour’s backbench foreign affairs committee, said he expected many in the party would defy Mr Corbyn if he tried to block action.

In an article for the Standard, he wrote: ‘If the Government can rediscover the will to protect civilians against this growing threat, I am confident many Labour MPs will

‘She’s already made up her mind’

want to play their part and rise above the excuses and diversions which emanate from the shadow frontbench whenever there is a crisis.’

In 2013, Mr Cameron went to the House to ask for support to join US-led air strikes in Syria after Assad used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. He was defeated by 13 votes and said he would respect the result.

Mr Cameron went back to MPs in December 2015 to ask for support for UK involvement in air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and won by 397 votes to 223.

Ultimately, the Prime Minister still retains the prerogative power to go ahead with military action but she will have to weigh up the political consequences of pushing ahead without parliamentary approval.