Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil will vote against air strikes on Syria in tonight’s vote in the House of Commons (Wednesday).

The SNP have tabled a cross-party motion in the House of Commons that states:

‘while welcoming the renewed impetus towards peace and reconstruction in Syria, and the Government’s recognition that a comprehensive strategy against Daesh is required, does not believe that the case for the UK’s participation in the ongoing air campaign in Syria by 10 countries has been established under current circumstances, and consequently declines to authorise military action in Syria.’

This motion has been signed by 110 MPs from six political parties who feel that bombing Syria is not the right course of action.

 Syria is already the most bombed country in the world with 3,000 bombings from 10 other countries in recent months – which have not succeeded in reducing the influence of the group around the world. It has also been argued that this bombing campaign will kill civilians which can only strengthen the resolve of Daesh terrorists worldwide.

The SNP have not heard a convincing post-war plan from the Prime Minister and know when the UK bombed Libya in 2011, the UK Government spent 13 times more money on bombing the country than contributing to its reconstruction. Without a sensible and reliable post-conflict plan the UK Government are helping to create further turmoil in an unstable region of the world.

The influential Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons has taken a wide range of evidence from military experts, academics, lawyers, the Foreign Secretary and Syrian groups. The cross-party committee set a number of questions for David Cameron, and just yesterday the committee voted by majority that these questions had not been answered by the Prime Minister.

The SNP does not believe that the UK government has an adequate plan, and does not believe that a bombing campaign which will most certainly kill civilians, is the most appropriate course of action.