Syria stance defended by MPs

WEST SUSSEX MPs lent their support to possible military action in troubled Syria on Thursday –with the exception of East Worthing and Shoreham’s Tim Loughton.
W49051H12-WorthingHomes-W49062H12-WorthingHomes  301112  LP

Official opening of Worthing Homes complex in Columbia Drive in Durrington. Pictued is Tim Loughton MP opening the complex.W49051H12-WorthingHomes-W49062H12-WorthingHomes  301112  LP

Official opening of Worthing Homes complex in Columbia Drive in Durrington. Pictued is Tim Loughton MP opening the complex.
W49051H12-WorthingHomes-W49062H12-WorthingHomes 301112 LP Official opening of Worthing Homes complex in Columbia Drive in Durrington. Pictued is Tim Loughton MP opening the complex.

A vote in Parliament asked MPs to support the Prime Minister’s call to consider taking action, following a suspected chemical attack in the Arab country on August 21.

MPs rejected the proposal, by 285 votes to 272.

Those voting for the possible action included Worthing West’s Sir Peter Bottomley, Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert and Bognor Regis and Littlehampton’s Nick Gibb.

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But Mr Loughton was the odd-one-out, after he voted both for and against the idea –a technical abstention.

He argued military action required a clear objective and endgame, which he was not convinced were present.

He said: “If you start military action, even under the guise of retribution for a heinous act of chemical warfare, you need to be clear about what can and will be achieved.

“Simply firing off missiles in order to show that certain Western countries will not tolerate such behaviour is unlikely to be an end in itself, and risks unpredictable escalation of an already highly confused and potentially lethal situation.”

For the rest of the reaction, see the Herald and Gazette, out Thursday, September 5.