Rolling coverage of the Commons debate ahead of the vote, expected after 10pm, on extending airstrikes against Isis to Syria
- Cameron says UK has moral and military duty to attack Isis in Syria
- Opening speeches – Snap verdict
- 5 of the best speeches so far
5.43pm GMT
The Guardian has now counted at least 33 Labour MPs who are minded to vote in favour of the government plans and one probable abstention [see full list at 13.44pm update]. There are roughly another 10 whose public statements look like they are sympathetic towards supporting the airstrikes. Labour leadership sources have told the Telegraph that they think 90 will end up backing Cameron but that seems much too high, in spite of some being won over to the pro-airstrike side by interventions from figures such as Margaret Beckett and Alan Johnson. At least 112 Labour MPs out of 231 overall have now released statements saying they will vote against.
Several Labour MPs have published statements or tweets this afternoon explaining their decisions to back the military action to their constituents, such as Neil Coyle, Kevin Barron, and Adrian Bailey, while others such as Yvette Cooper, Pat McFadden and Joan Ryan have made their positions clear in the chamber. This piece from Coyle, MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark talks about how he has faced intimidation over the decision:
Coming back to the issue of fear, I think we must have the courage to do what we think is right, irrespective of the inevitable backlash. I have faced physical threats over how I might vote on this issue. Those threats are unacceptable and do not shape my position or decision. Quite the opposite.
5.43pm GMT
William Hague did not speak for long in the House of Lords, but he made two important statements.
We should be open to new solutions. In the end, if communities and leaders cannot live peacefully together in Syria and Iraq then we will have to try them living peacefully but separately in the partition of those countries, regretfully though I say that.
[We] should not rule out the use, perhaps, of small specialist ground forces in the future, from Western nations, if that helps to tip the balance on the grounds.
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