Syria airstrikes: Labour's senior ranks in chaos as Jeremy Corbyn fights against his shadow cabinet

The senior ranks of the Labour Party are in complete chaos tonight.

At a shadow cabinet meeting this afternoon to discuss the Prime Minister's proposals on bombing in Syria I am told a significant majority thought Mr Cameron had made the case.

The problem is the party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, doesn't agree with that majority. In fact just hours later he wrote to every Labour MP saying he could not back the bombing of IS in Syria, much to the surprise of shadow ministers.

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So what on earth do they do now?

Well, if a vote is called the Labour leadership want to order MPs to vote against bombing. Quite a number of the shadow cabinet think they should be ordered to vote in favour.

The sensible thing, says the Labour source, would be to allow a free vote, before adding: "But just because something is the sensible option doesn't mean the leadership will take it."

The shadow cabinet will meet again on Monday to decide what to do next. It will be some meeting.

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