The leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn has called for a legislation which would make it necessary for MPs to approve future British military action following the airstrikes in Syria in the early hours of Saturday.
Along with the USA and France, Britain attacked chemical weapons facilities in a series of raids on three sites.
Prime Minister Theresa May said the airstrikes were “legally and morally right” to prevent “further human suffering”. She also told MPs there was “clear evidence” the Assad government was behind the Douma chemical weapons attack. She said that the UK had “explored every diplomatic channel” butregrettablydecided that there was no alternative to “limited, carefully targeted action”.
However, Corbyn said that the action was “legally questionable” and has called on the Prime Minister to publish legal advice in full, while also stating that the government must be “accountable to this Parliament and not to the whims of this US President.”
Briefing Parliament, Theresa May reiterated that the airstrike was in the UK's interest to act, insisting that “we have not done this because President Trump asked us to but because it was the right thing to do”.
She further said, “We have always been clear that the government has the right to act quickly in the national interest. I am absolutely clear that it is Parliament's responsibility to hold me to account for such decisions but it is my responsibility as prime minister to make these decisions.”
On the other hand, Corbyn has called for a new War Powers Act, saying the convention that Parliament should be consulted prior military action was “broken” and had to be replaced by a “legal obligation” to get the backing of MPs.
Corbyn said, “There is no more serious issue then the life and death matters of military action. It is right that Parliament has the power to support or stop the government from taking planned military action.”
