Jeremy Corbyn urges 'political solution' after Donald Trump's Syria bombs threat
5 min read
Jeremy Corbyn has called for a "political solution" to the war in Syria, as US President Donald Trump ramped up the rhetoric following an alleged chemical weapons attack there.
Medical sources in Syria say dozens of people were killed in attack on the rebel-held Syrian town of Douma, with the US, UK and France now weighing up their response.
Taking to his Twitter account after Russian diplomats signalled that they would shoot down any missiles fired into Syrian territory, Mr Trump said: "Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"
Speaking after the US President's volley of tweets, which came as investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) prepared to probe the incident, Mr Corbyn urged all sides in the conflict to "get round the table" and avoid a "hot war".
"Listen, what happened last weekend was terrible," Mr Corbyn told ITV News. "What we don’t want is bombardment which leads to escalation and leads to a hot war between Russia and America over the skies of Syria.
He added: "So what I’m saying is listen to what the UN says, listen to what the UN general secretary says, undertake the inquiry into the source and usage of the chemical weapons but, above all, get every country including the US and Russia, as well as the neighbouring states, around the table in Geneva to being about a political solution."
A Labour source meanwhile seized on the timing of Mr Trump's "belligerent" comments, saying: "Donald Trump sent this Tweet just as it was confirmed that the OPCW are on their way to conduct inspections inside Douma.
"We would hope that, instead of firing off belligerent Tweets, Trump could show some restraint, allow the OPCW do their job, and let them come back to the UN with independent verification that chemical weapons were used, and what they were, so the UN can consider the next steps on the basis of clear evidence."
Mr Corbyn, who has so far stopped short of blaming Syria or its Russian backers for the attack, also said it was vital that MPs were given a say on any escalation of UK involvement.
"Parliament should always be given a say on military action," he said. "That’s a case that I’ve made going back many, many years in parliament. Obviously the situation is very serious, obviously there has to be, now, a demand for a political process to end the war in Syria. We cannot risk an escalation even further than it’s gone already."
'INACTION HAS CONSEQUENCES'
Mr Corbyn's comments came as a senior Conservative MP - and previous rebel on military action in Syria - signalled her own support for intervention, while others demanded that Parliament be given a vote on any action.
Sarah Wollaston - one of 30 in her party who opposed David Cameron's 2013 bid to intervene in the conflict after a chemical weapons attack - said such weapons were now "being used with impunity, including here in UK", and said it was now "time to act to stop the use of these horrific weapons."
Ms Wollaston added: "The history of military action in the region means that Theresa May is right to be cautious but that history also demonstrates that inaction has consequences too."
But fellow Conservative backbencher John Baron said Parliament must be consulted ahead of any action. He told the BBC: "If there is going to be significant military intervention then I think parliament has every right to ask questions particularly given our poor track record on previous interventions across the region."
Meanwhile, Tory MP and Afghan war veteran Johnny Mercer urged caution.
The SNP has also upped the pressure on Ms May this afternoon, warning that a failure to consult MPs on airstrikes in Syria would be a "scandal". In a letter to the Prime Minister - seen by PoliticsHome - defence spokesperson Stewart McDonald said his party would not support any military action which was not "part of an overall strategy to bring the war to an end".
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