John Baron MP regrets absence of vote on Syria

MP says Parliament needs to be consulted in future

Responding to the air strikes conducted by Britain, France and the United States at the weekend, John said,

“Whilst Prime Ministers must continue to have the latitude to use military force in emergencies, I would have preferred Parliament to have been consulted before our Armed Forces went into action. As with all aspects of policy, scrutiny by Parliament tends to improve decision-making and enhance accountability.”

“I look forward to the Prime Minister setting out to MPs this afternoon why she believed that the situation demanded an immediate response. She also needs to address how she will respond in future to any chemical weapons attacks, and Parliament’s role in this process.”

“Given the litany of errors in our handling of previous interventions since 2003 and in Syria, it should come as no surprise that many in Parliament believe the Government of the day should be more thoroughly scrutinised before plans are executed.”