But Corbyn and Abbott still don’t know what to do
JEREMY Corbyn and Diane Abbott refused to back military action in Syria yesterday, offering a ‘worrying glimpse’ into Labour foreign policy.
The Labour leader again declined to say whether the Assad regime was responsible for the chemical weapons attack in Douma last week.
And Diane Abbott gave an interview in which she admitted that World War II was the only conflict in which Labour would back military intervention.
Both called for a UN investigation into who carried out the attack – despite Russia having vetoed all previous attempts.
On Sky News yesterday, Mr Corbyn was asked if he had doubts over whether the Syrian regime was responsible.
He said: ‘If there is proof the regime did it, then the regime must be held responsible. If there is proof that anybody else did it, they must be held responsible.’
He called for a UN investigation, adding: ‘This is a time, surely, when we have to use all the authority we have to prevent the continuation and the escalation of war.’
Asked if there were circumstances in which he would back military action, he replied: ‘Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. My position is let’s do everything we can to stop the war at the present time.
‘An escalation of the war is in nobody’s interests.’
His comments followed a BBC interview with shadow home secretary Miss Abbott, who refused four times to say if her party would agree to respond to the atrocities in Syria with force.
She told the Today programme: ‘We would press on trying to bring people to the table. We believe more bombing is not the answer to the crisis in Syria.’
After presenter Nick Robinson asked her in what circumstances she would back military action, she replied: ‘There was the Second World War.’
The key Corbyn ally also struggled to say whether Russia or the US was a greater threat to world peace, despite being pressed on the issue three times.
She finally conceded: ‘It is clear
‘Bigger threat to world peace’
that at this point Russia, its role in Syria, what we believe beyond reasonable doubt is its role in the poison attacks in Salisbury, is a bigger threat to world peace.’
Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said both interviews offered a ‘worrying glimpse’ into Labour’s foreign policy.
‘This would give succour to the enemies of our country to have Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott in power, to know there are no circumstances in which they would defend the interests of our country,’ he said.
‘Can you really see Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott standing against Nazism as Winston Churchill did?
‘Diane Abbott was even disingenuous about the Second World War. We know that they would have capitulated.’
Miss Abbott was also criticised yesterday by her fellow Labour MP and staunch Corbyn critic John Woodcock.
He told Sky News: ‘The position set out by Diane Abbott this morning is, let’s be very clear about it, to do nothing.’
Responding to her calls for an independent UN investigation into the suspected gas attack in Douma, Mr Woodcock added: ‘There is zero chance that there will be this UN-led investigation because we know that Russia will block it.’
Labour MPs Gavin Shuker tweeted: ‘It’s pretty clear that Labour, in its current guise, is now a pacifist party.’