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Corbyn faces shadow cabinet revolt over Syria air strikes

Jeremy Corbyn has cancelled a visit to a by-election campaign in Oldham amid a shadow cabinet revolt over air strikes in Syria.

Mr Corbyn told Labour MPs that he cannot support the strikes, prompting a furious reaction and resignation threats from the shadow cabinet.

On Thursday, David Cameron urged the House of Commons to back military action against so-called Islamic State in Syria, saying the group posed a "serious and undeniable" threat to Britain.

But in a letter to his MPs, Mr Corbyn rejected Mr Cameron's claim that air strikes would make Britain safer.

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Calls for Corbyn to resign over Syria vote revolt

Senior Labour MPs have called for Jeremy Corbyn to resign as tensions within the party rise over whether Britain should join airstrikes on Syria.

It comes after the party leader told MPs in a letter that he could not support military intervention against the so-called Islamic State in the country, sparking a furious backlash from shadow cabinet members who had not yet agreed their position on the matter.

Jeremy Corbyn faces calls to resign Credit: PA

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, former minister John Spellar said Mr Corbyn's behaviour over the vote had been "unacceptable".

It's absolutely right for him to put that view in the shadow cabinet. It's right for them to discuss it.

They thought they were going away to resume that discussion on Monday. He's now trying to pre-empt that and whip up a storm inside the party.

Certainly... they should not resign. They should hold on to those places. If anyone should resign after this incident, it should be Jeremy Corbyn.

– John Spellar, MP for Warley

Another former minister, Fiona Mactaggart, echoed his sentiments - despite saying she was not convinced by the case for bombing either. Speaking to BBC Radio Berkshire, she said:

[Corbyn] hasn't got a strategy to lead the party from where it is to where it needs to be and the people of the country can see that. I think it probably is unsustainable.

I think [quitting] would be a sensible strategy because I think that the division at the moment is causing real problems.

– Fiona Mactaggart, MP for Slough
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Corbyn faces shadow cabinet revolt over Syria air strikes

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