Campaign news

LabourList readers want MPs to oppose Syria air strikes

29th August 2013

Yesterday we asked you to have your say on how Labour MPs – and the Labour leadership – should act on Syria. 2676 of you have voted in the last 18 hours (our biggest ever response to a LabourList survey). Here are the results.

Labour MPs should oppose air strikes against Syria

Although there won’t now be a vote on military action in Syria today, LabourList readers overwhelmingly believe that Labour MPs should vote to oppose air strikes on Syria. 77% of those who voted said that the PLP should oppose strikes, compared to just 17% who were in favour. 6% wanted Labour MPs to abstain.

The Labour Leadership should offer MPs a free vote on Syria

49.5% of LabourList readers think that the party leadership should offer MPs a free vote on Syria, compared to 41.9% who believe that MPs should be whipped to vote against military action. Only 8.7% believe that Labour MPs should be whipped to back military action.

Labour should wait for the UN to publish its report on recent chemical attacks before considering approving any UK involvement in military action

Waiting to see what the UN weapons inspectors say about the chemical weapons situation in Syria – a position Ed Miliband has advocated – is backed by 87.7% of LabourList readers. Only 12.3% of readers thought Labour should take a view before the UN report was completed.

No action without UN backing

81.8% of LabourList readers said that Labour should only support action backed by the UN (as opposed to Miliband’s position, which involves evidence presented to the UN and debate by the Security Council, but doesn’t imply support from Russia/China is needed for military action). Only 18.2% said that Labour should back action without the UN.

Intervention in Syria will lead to more civilian deaths

LabourList readers overwhelmingly believe that UK/US military action in Syria will lead to more, not less, civilian deaths. 73.8% believe that civilian deaths in Syria will increase as a result of intervention, compared to just 12.4% who say it will decrease civilian deaths. 13.8% of our readers said that military action would make little difference to the civilian death toll.

Thanks to everyone who voted.