Cameron urges lawmakers to endorse airstrikes in Syria

LONDON

Prime Minister David Cameron has urged lawmakers to endorse U.K. airstrikes against Daesh in Syria in order to “keep the British people safe”.

Speaking at the beginning of a day-long debate in the House of Commons before a vote later Wednesday night, he said the plans were “not about whether we want to fight terrorism, it’s about how best we do that”.

“Governments of all political colors in this country have had to fight terrorism and had to take the people with them as they do so,” Cameron said, adding that he respected people who came to a different view from him.

The U.K. premier came under fire during the debate for refusing to apologize for suggesting opponents of his plans were “terrorist sympathizers”.

Cameron used the term to describe opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn and his allies during a meeting of lawmakers from the governing Conservative Party on Tuesday night, the Daily Telegraph reported.

“To brand those who plan to vote against the government as ‘terrorist sympathizers’ both demeans the office of the prime minister and I believe undermines the seriousness of deliberations we are having today,” Corbyn said.

He called on the U.K. premier to make an immediate apology for his remarks, but Cameron stared straight back at Corbyn in the House of Commons chamber without appearing to respond.

Corbyn said he opposed the proposed action because it was “ill-thought-out”.

“I urge members on all sides of the house to think very carefully about the responsibility that lies with them today,” he said.

“Do we send in bombers not totally aware of what all the consequences are going to be, or do we pause, not send them in and instead put all of our efforts into bringing about a peaceful, humanitarian and just political settlement to the terrible situation faced by the people in Syria?” he asked.

U.K. lawmakers were due to start voting on a government motion authorizing airstrikes at 10 p.m. local time (2200GMT).

A total of 110 lawmakers from opposition parties, including Labour, the Greens, Scottish and Welsh nationalists and the Northern Irish SDLP have tabled a rival motion that declines to authorize military action in Syria.

But two smaller parties -- the Liberal Democrats and Northern Ireland’s DUP, which have 16 lawmakers between them -- announced they would support military action. The 16 lawmakers between them are likely to cancel out any rebels within Cameron’s own Conservative Party.