For All These Reasons

Pat Glass writes:

I have listened very carefully to all of the views, advice and information that I have received in the last few weeks on the question that will be put to Parliament on Wednesday, 2nd December on Syria.

I have met with my own constituency Labour Party where there was a very well informed and comradely debate on this and I have debated this with the local North West Durham Fabian Society.

I have been contacted by hundreds of constituents and have received briefings and advice from church leaders and charities. I have also listened to the Prime Minister when he set out his case for bombing Syria.

Having listened to all this I have decided that I will voting not to bomb Syria.

I believe that the issue that Parliament should be debating is how to remove the territory from ISIL/Daesh control, achieve an eventual ceasefire amongst other forces and bring about a transitional settlement to end the Civil War.

This is an incredibly complex and difficult diplomatic task, but the first steps are already being taken via the Geneva Process.

I do not believe that the PM has made the case for bombing. I have seen no credible plan particularly in relation to what happens when the bombing stops.

I cannot see how dropping even more bombs is going to improve things for the people of Syria, 250,000 of whom have already died in this civil war and the suggestion that our bombs are more accurate than two super-powers who are already bombing is, in my view, ludicrous.

I do appreciate the arguments about us needing to stand together with our Allies but not sufficiently to justify the Government’s proposed actions.

Finally I cannot see how the UK joining in the current bombing in Syria will help the process, or defeat ISIL/Daesh; and there is a danger that it will unintentionally lead to civilian casualties and deepen the sense of grievance which ISIL/Daesh feeds upon. I was appalled by the Paris massacres.

People going about their business on a Friday night, enjoying a meal, watching a football match or attending a music concert represents the best of human nature.

People joining together to deliberately murder other people in pursuit of a twisted ideology represents the worst of human nature.

Those who in any way seek to transfer the blame for these actions to Western Governments are wrong but I believe that history shows that the West’s response to past terrorist actions have been disproportionate and have made matters far, far worse.

For all these reasons I will be voting against the Government’s proposal to bomb Syria when it is put before the House of Commons tomorrow.