Hague: No Syria vote 'regrets'

The Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the government should not have "any regrets or recrimination" over its Commons vote defeat on potential military action in Syria.

Speaking on Sky's Murnaghan programme, he denied the decision to recall Parliament had been too hasty: "This chemical attack took place on the 21st August so we were already meeting more than a week later than that.

When asked what might happen in the future if action is approved by the US Congress or if more evidence of atrocities by the Syrian regime are presented by the UN, Mr Hague said:

"Parliament has spoken and I don't think it's realistic to think that we can go back....every week with the same question having received no for an answer."

"The Labour leadership would have to play a less partisan opportunistic role and be prepared to take yes for an answer", he added.

Chancellor George Osborne has defended the government after their Commons vote defeat over potential British involvement in military strikes against Syria.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, he denied the government "rushed in and lost" and said: "I don't agree that a bit more evidence would have persuaded those MPs who didn't support us."

He also accused the opposition of playing party politics: "The Labour Party would have voted against regardless, they played this in quite an opportunistic way... Ed Miliband looks less like a Prime Minister even than he did a few weeks ago."

When asked if this was a historic moment in the UK's role in the world, Mr Osborne said: "I think we should be self confident about as a nation wanting to shape the world around us.

"It would be very sad if we turned our back on the world and I'm absolutely determined we don't."

France's interior minister has said it cannot act alone against the Syrian government and should await the decision from the United State on military intervention, Reuters reports.

The French prime minister is expected to meet with heads of parliament and opposition about Syria on Monday ahead of a debate on the 4 September, according to a statement.

Yesterday, President Obama said no action would be taken before it is approved by a vote in Congress.

Watch: Obama delays Syria action until after Congress vote

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has said the result of the Commons vote on Syria was "shocking" but "understandable".

In an interview with the Sunday Times, he said: "The hesitation is born of the experience of intervention.

The truth is that intervening in Iraq and Afghanistan has been far more perilous and difficult than we expected.

But he also cautioned: "Intervention can be uncertain, expensive and bloody. But history has taught us that inaction can merely postpone the reckoning.

"We haven’t paid the bill for Syria yet. But we will".

France believes each country's pace of action on Syria should be respected, according to source close to French President Hollande.

Hollande reaffirmed to Obama, in a phone call, his determination to sanction moves against Syria, the source told Reuters.

The Foreign Secretary tweeted:

Shortly after President Obama's speech concluded, the Prime Minister tweeted:

A message of support has been read to the crowd in Trafalgar Square from former Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain. It said:

"Politics, not warmongering, must be the way forward."

Peter Hain did not attend the vote in Parliament on Thursday because he was abroad.

A protest march against military intervention in Syria staged by the Stop the War coalition has reached London's Trafalgar Square.