How MPs across the North-East and North Yorkshire intend to vote on extending airstrikes to Syria

However, another group of mainly Labour MPs are still considering their position ahead of a House of Commons debate and vote called by Prime Minister David Cameron for Wednesday.

The Northern Echo asked MPs across the North-East and North Yorkshire which way they intend to vote on the question of whether Britain should carry out airstrikes in Syria. The replies of those who responded are set out below.

NO TO AIR STRIKES

• Dave Anderson (Lab) – Blaydon: "Where I am at present doesn't mean that I won't, ultimately, support military intervention in this area. I am not a pacifist. We were right to fight Hitler and wrong not to fight Franco. We were right not to support the US in Vietnam, thanks to a great Labour Prime Minister, and disastrously wrong in Iraq. Sometimes action is the only answer but, as Iraq showed, it has to be the right action and it has to be fully thought through and we have to go the extra mile to get the fullest possible international buy-in possible. We aren't there yet by a long chalk."
• Roberta Blackman Woods (Lab) – City of Durham
• Mary Glindon (Lab) – North Tyneside
• Ian Lavery (Lab) - Wansbeck: “I absolutely abhor with the deepest of passions ISIL and I believe they are a death cult, which must be dealt with, but we must do it in a fashion which means we can end ISIL as soon as we can and not give them an opportunity to strengthen and grow in numbers and terrify people on the streets of this country and other western countries.”
• Ian Mearns (Lab) – Gateshead
• Andy McDonald (Lab) - Middlesbrough: “While I will vote against UK military action in Syria, I will continue to push for the Government to come forward with a coherent, achievable strategy for Syria and the broader region. I want to see the UK make every effort to defeat Daesh and bring to an end the tragic Syrian civil war, but having examined the plans put forward by the Prime Minister, I fear the proposed military action will make things worse, not better.”

​​Protests outside Downing Street on November 28

• Grahame Morris (Lab) – Easington: “Make no mistake I want to see the defeat of both ISIL and the Assad regime, however, it is not clear that this is an achievable aim by bombing. The air forces of the US, France and several other countries have not been able to achieve it to date.”

"At this point in time and in these circumstances I am against bombing Syria because I do not feel the basic tests have been met. It will inevitably result in civilian casualties and add further to the refugee crisis.

“Without credible ground forces to quickly occupy ground given up by Isil/Daesh I can only see UK participation in the aerial bombardment advocated by David Cameron making the situation worse."

Chi Onwurah (Lab) – Newcastle Central: “I listened very carefully to the Prime Minister as he set out the case for airstrikes on Thursday and I share his view that Daesh represents a real threat to UK citizens. However he did not convince me that UK airstrikes at this time would materially reduce that threat”.

Rachael Maskell (Lab) - York Central: said she would be voting against after listening to the views of constituents at a meeting in York attended by 400 people.

Pat Glass (Lab) - North West Durham: "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."

YES TO AIR STRIKES

Robert Goodwill (Con) - Scarborough and Whitby: said he would be supporting the Prime Minister

Kevin Hollinrake (Con) - Thirsk and Malton: “I’m keen to vote in support of air strikes. I do so on the proviso that we do take a long-term strategy on this.

“It’s not about just going in there and taking a knee-jerk reaction over what has gone wrong over the last few weeks. It’s very much about trying to get stability and a peaceful solution for Syria and the people of Syria.”

Julian Smith (Con) - Skipton and Ripon: "I believe we must now take action against ISIS in Syria itself. Should a vote be forthcoming I will be supporting the Prime Minister, who is taking exactly the right proportionate action to help keep our streets safe.”

Julian Sturdy (Con) - York Outer said he will vote in favour "as long as they are restricted to eviscerating the terrorists who directly threaten our national security.”

“I believe the Prime Minister must be clear in any motion he brings before the House of Commons for airstrikes that it must be on the basis of ISIL only rather than ISIL first to ensure there is no potential for mission creep; if this is not the case I would certainly reconsider my position.”

Phil Wilson (Lab) - Sedgefield: “My position is, depending on what the motion says, that I’m minded to support it. We are at risk and we need to stand by our allies. It seems daft we can do it in Iraq but can’t cross the border into Syria when it doesn’t really exist. When we’ve got major EU allies asking directly for support then we’ve got to provide that support. I would hate if there was a vote and it was lost and the following week there was an attack on London. What would we say?”

An Islamic State militant aims sniper rifle during fighting in Syria

STILL CONSIDERING POSITION

Jenny Chapman (Lab) - Darlington: "I am listening carefully to all the arguments. I feel strongly that the UK needs to play the fullest part possible in defeating a common enemy alongside our allies in France and elsewhere, but I am trying to balance this with understandable misgivings about the consequences of airstrikes on the civilian population in Syria.

"The UK is already a target for extremists and there are plots regularly thwarted by our security services. It is also the case that the population suffering in the occupied areas of Syria and Iraq desperately need to be liberated.

"Military experts argue that the UK can add sophisticated targeting capability to the allied forces. I am not yet clear in my own mind that there is a sufficiently co-ordinated strategy across nations that will be successful.

Emma Lewell-Buck (Lab) - South Shields

Catherine McKinnell (Lab) - Newcastle North (Shadow Attorney General)

Anna Turley (Lab) - Redcar: “There are no easy solutions and I will be spending a lot of time thinking about the plan that has been put forward, the outcome of discussions in the Shadow Cabinet on Monday, and the views of my constituents before deciding on what is the right thing to do.”

Two RAF Tornado GR4 jets which could be asked to undertake airstrikes against Isis in Syria