SUSSEX’S only Labour MP is to vote against the wishes of his leader in backing air strikes in Syria.

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove, has spoken out about targetting Islamic State (IS) ahead of a House of Commons vote expected in the coming days.

The MP said providing there is enough aid, resources and organisation, he would back strikes.

Yesterday, party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced he would give his MPs a free vote after previously having said he wanted the party to agree on a united position.

Before Corbyn announced the free vote, Mr Kyle had spoken in the House and taken to Facebook to make his views clear.

He said: “Several groups, each with territory, are at war with each other. A coalition including France and America are already bombing Isis.

"Russia is acting loosely with Assad to attack both Syrian opposition fighters and Isis. And the result is chaos, mass exodus of civilians, and an international community that has lacked a unified way forward.

“The only thing I am certain of amidst such horror is that non intervention is not a passive act.

"It allows the status quo, which is war, to continue along with loss of life on a grotesque scale, a refugee crisis that Europe is coping poorly with, and an extremist organisation with territory which it uses to train militants and relentlessly work for expansion and the planning of further atrocities in or close to our shores.”

He added he would vote against his leader’s wishes provided the government takes an active role in the humanitarian effort that follows, that money is committed to aid and that planning is done before any action.

Mr Kyle’s Facebook post has already received 242 comments with many questioning his stance.

The Argus asked all 16 Sussex MPs how they will vote. Just Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, said she would oppose strikes, with eight for and three undecided.

Four MPs had not responded by the time The Argus went to press.

Caroline Ansell, Conservative MP for Eastbourne, said she backed the strikes but described it as “the hardest and most difficult decision an MP can make”.

Maria Caufield, Conservative MP for Lewes, said the attacks in Paris last month had had a “significant effect” in her decision to back strikes.

She said: “If we all voted in ways that we thought were popular and made people happy we would never get anywhere.

“We have to believe we are doing what is fundamentally the right thing to do.

“If we say we are going to do nothing, let’s not pretend people [in Syria] aren’t going to suffer as a result of that.”

Henry Smith, Conservative for Crawley, said RAF air strikes would be more accurate than those by other air forces.

He said: “The way the Russians approach military action is not as sensitive as we do. The RAF will be far more careful to target purely military targets and reduce to a minimum the collateral civil damage. Not to say there will be no collateral damage but what we say to that is that at the moment civilians are being killed in their thousands and we have a moral responsibility.”

Last night Caroline Lucas MP called for the Prime Minister to back Corbyn’s lead in giving MPs a free vote.

She said: “He should trust his MPs to vote according to their conscience, and the evidence presented to them, rather than the party whip. The debate on such crucial issues is greatly diminished when MPs are subjected to the pressure of the whips offices.”

Do you live in the Hove constituency, do you agree with your MP? Email ben.james@theargus.co.uk with your thoughts or call 01273 544536.

 

SHOULD WE LAUNCH AIR RAIDS ON SYRIA? SUSSEX MP'S RESPOND

Simon Kirby Conservative MP, Brighton KemptownNOT DECIDED

“I am currently listening to constituents and will be keen to look at the wording of any motion should it come before the House but I am inclined to support the prime minister’s position.”

Nusrat Ghani Conservative MP, Wealden - YES

“We already have our RAF engagement activities in Iraq. If we can offer some support [in Syria] by military intervention we should do so. We are already under threat here and to not understand that is just a bit naive. There’s no political solution to Daesh [Islamic State]. We have nothing to offer them – they are against our democracy.”

Peter Bottomley Conservative MP, Worthing West - YES

“Nobody wants to encourage violence, but unless we stand up for ourselves, bad people will end up running the world. Lots of people have asked me about this and I ask whether we should remove the artificial border between Syria and Iraq. If a Sussex Police officer is chasing a bad person and they go into Surrey, should the officer be able to carry on with the pursuit, or stop?”

Henry Smith Conservative MP, Crawley - YES

“I have always thought it is a nonsense. Daesh does not respect the boundary between Syria and Iraq, Raqqa is their de facto capital, and I think it is important that we provide air cover. When I was in Iraq the Kurdish forces were very grateful for the air cover, and air strikes on Syria will also help relieve ultimately the refugee crisis and help ensure that we help defeat what is a very evil organisation.”

Huw Merriman Conservative MP, Bexhill and Battle - NOT DECIDED

“It is important for me to consider what form of military action will be proposed (i.e. air strikes/ground troops), whether a coalition including US, Russia, France and others can agree on coordinated action and the aftermath, what the end to our involvement would look like (and when this would be) and the downside to our involvement versus the current downside from our non-involvement.”

Sir Nicholas Soames, Conservative MP, Mid Sussex - YES

A spokesman for the MP said: “Sir Nicholas will be supporting the prime minister, having been very impressed and convinced by his long statement to the House on November 26.”

Amber Rudd Conservative MP, Hastings and Rye - NO RESPONSE

Mrs Rudd was not available for comment because she was at a UN climate conference COP21 in Paris. Since the May 2015 election, in which she retained her seat, Mrs Rudd now sits in the prime minister’s cabinet as the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Generally speaking, members of the cabinet must publicly support government decisions, even if they do not privately agree with them.If they object, they are obliged to resign their post.

Tim Loughton Conservative MP, East Worthing and Shoreham - YES

“It is imperative that we now act. I think we should be supporting more fully the Kurdish Peshmerga troops on the ground, who have been helping the fightback on the ground, with air strikes as well; we need to up the military engagement. We can’t afford not to and that is why my position on Syria has now changed.”

Caroline Ansell Conservative MP, Eastbourne - YES

“It is my view, given that we are already involved in similar activity over neighbouring Iraq, there is no reason in principle why we wouldn’t extend these strikes over Syria. I also believe that doing nothing is not an option. However, I have been seeking assurance on a number of related issues in advance of the vote.”

Jeremy Quin Conservative MP, Horsham - YES

“On the basis of the evidence presented I would support the RAF mission against Isil in Iraq being extended to Isil military targets in Syria.”

Peter Kyle Labour MP, Hove - YES

“If the government can provide enough certainty that aid, resources, and organisation will be provided rapidly for what comes after military action then I will support it.”

Andrew Tyrie Conservative MP, Chichester - NO RESPONSE

Mr Tyrie had not responded by the time The Argus went to press.

Nick Gibb Conservative MP, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton - NO RESPONSE

Mr Gibb had not responded by the time The Argus went to press.

Maria Caulfield Conservative MP, Lewes - NOT DECIDED

“I haven’t 100 per cent made up my mind yet but I’m likely to support air strikes in Syria because as a country we are at threat already. Also we need to show solidarity with our allies. Air strikes are just one part of a much wider strategy in helping other countries get involved.”

Caroline Lucas Green MP, Brighton Pavilion - NO

“The air strikes on Syria have become increasingly Western driven, with all of the four Middle Eastern states previously involved now having withdrawn. Isis attempts to present itself as the true guardian of Islam under attack from the ‘crusader West’.

“This message, though utterly pernicious and wrong, is being reinforced by Western bombings, with every indication that the attacks are an incredibly effective recruiting sergeant for Isis. Nor have the sustained bombings pushed Isis into retreat. According to the latest figures from the US Department for Defense, the US air war has so far killed an estimated 20,000 Isis supporters. Crucially, though, British military involvement in air strikes may well hamper our ability to push for diplomatic solutions.”