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Tessa Jowell, Labour Party MP: We’re waiting for the processes of the UN to create a legal framework to be given time to apply. So the first thing is that the weapons inspectors have not completed their report – they must have time to do that and have further time to investigate who the perpetrator of this report is. Secondly, there must be a debate in the Security Council and a UN Security Council resolution in order to create a legal base. The third is that any resolution in the House of Commons should be time limited and very specific in its scope.Given our own record…[Tessa Jowell shakes her head and walks off]Clearly sensing a real zinger of a question, Jowell had turned heel and slipped away from me. Luckily, Lord John Reid was around to further enlighten me about Labour’s position.

John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan (Labour): I doubt it will get there – I think we’ll wait and see what the evidence says, what the inspectors and the Security Council say, and what the military, diplomatic and legal options are.So you’re not making a decision?
No, I don't think you can. It’s not just chemical weapons; it’s a complex Syrian civil war and a regional schismatic war between Sunni and Shia.
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Sir Ming Campbell, Lib Dem MP for North East Fife: I’m going to support the government motion. But in a speech I made today, I drew attention to a lot of reservations I have, and my "Yes" vote is mostly because we’re going to have a second vote before any military action.
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No, I’m saying that in these UN matters the Secretary-General should report, the inspectors should report, and that Britain in the UN’s Security Council should seek a resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which authorises the use of military force.But the UN inspectors aren't allowed to say who carried out the attack.
That’s true, but we have to challenge the substantial presumption that it was Assad’s regime who used chemical weapons.Okay, thanks.

Tracey Crouch: I’ll be voting against the government motion and the Labour motion because they both make reference to supporting military intervention in Syria.What do you think should happen?
I think we should continue with diplomatic resolution and provide humanitarian support. I think we could also impose sanctions.Isn’t it a bit late for all that?
No, I don’t think it is. We haven’t got the information for certain that it was the Assad regime that used chemical weapons. I think we have to be very careful when we don’t know who makes up the opposition. With the involvement of al-Qaeda, for example, we have to be very careful whose side we take on this.
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Why is there mass outcry with the use of chemical weapons compared to when people are being blown up and shot? People are being massacred in Zimbabwe on a regular basis and we stand back and do nothing. Are we suggesting that if Mugabe used chemical weapons we should have an intervention in Zimbabwe? We shouldn’t have people committing genocide whether it’s with chemical weapons or not. The response to that, however, is always that we should be flexing our muscles and sending in military support, whereas I don’t think that’s the right way forward. You only have to look at Afghanistan and Iraq to know that sending armed forces doesn’t always lead to the right outcome.

David Davis, Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden: I will abstain on the Labour amendment – I don't want to get on Mr Miliband's moral merry-go-round. But as for the government’s motion, I’m probably going to vote against.Why?
I don't think the case for war is made. I think there’s a general commitment to military action, and even if I were going to vote for it, it would depend on the absolute specifics – I’m not giving a blank cheque. It’s gotta be precise. Are we going for Command and Control sites, or what? And we need [to know the] expected outcomes.
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We’re not there yet. First we need proof it was Assad and not some rogue element in his army. Once you get that, I’ll want to see the government talking to the Russians and making sure a whole load of new weapons aren't gonna be delivered. Thirdly, I'd want an assessment of whether we’ve done enough to make it unprofitable for Assad to use them again. So I could vote in favour, but at the moment I’m assuming I’m against.If it passes, when will the missiles be in the sky?
Who knows? It’s not actually that time-sensitive. The Americans have this saying – “load, fire, aim” – and that sums up their military policy sometimes. We don’t want to get into that – we want "load, aim fire".So what are you trying to avoid?
Well, there are historians of World War One saying the situation in the Middle East has connotations of 1913-14 about it. It’s hard to see how it’ll play out, but if we get into an escalation with us attacking Assad and the Russians and Chinese and Iranians supplying weapons, we could end up with a Vietnam situation. Also, the whole thing has impacts on Jordan and Lebanon, and that in itself is dangerous for Israel. You can just see a domino effect happening here.Do we have any right to get involved?
I half accept the argument that we have a big role in world affairs because of our country’s history. That’s a good thing generally, but we don’t want to be the ones giving US policy an “approval stamp”, which is sort of where we’re heading if we’re not careful.
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They’re not saying a lot. You can’t pin anyone in the church down and call them pro or anti-Assad. I do know that the church out there is raising money and distributing it to everyone in need – it’s not a Christians-only thing. Having said that – yes, they’re scared. Churches get destroyed and attacked, but underlying that is a belief that Syria is a very ancient and civilised country.What has been your response?
Our response has been to pray hard and weep.Yeah, I can see that.
God bless you.Thanks!
