Syria: SNP condemn Commons vote for airstrikes

SNP MPs have condemned the vote in favour of airstrikes against IS in Syria.

A crowded House of Commons after MPs backed David Cameron's plans 397 to 223. Picture: PA

All of the SNP MPs voted against the government motion to bomb IS targets in Syria, along with Labour’s only Scottish MP, Ian Murray.

Scotland’s other two MPs, Conservative David Mundell and Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael, voted with the government and 66 Labour MPs in support of the airstrikes.

Overall, David Cameron obtained a majority of 174, with 390 MPs voting for and 223 against.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said: “Tonight the UK parliament gave the green light to continue a complex and deadly conflict without a comprehensive plan for peace and reconstruction.

“Despite 72% of Scots being opposed, and the vast majority of Scottish MPs voting against, we will likely see planes deployed from Lossiemouth to drop bombs on the region. In normal circumstances, in a normal country, the armed forces would not be deployed.

“We are all committed to destroying Daesh [IS] - it is about how best we do that. David Cameron has neither answered the questions about where the 70,000 ground forces are coming from, or given an insight into any plan on how to stabilise and rebuild the region.”

The vote was carried out after a gruelling 10-hour debate in the House of Commons with RAF aircraft poised to begin strikes as early as Thursday morning.