The Guardian - 1/23/2024 6:26:12 PM - GMT (+3 )
PM resists calls from MPs for Commons vote over military action following ‘limited strikes’ against Houthis
Rishi Sunak has come under pressure to provide clarity on Britain’s long-term strategy in the Red Sea as he resisted calls for MPs to be given a vote, insisting the new airstrikes against the Houthis on Monday night were carried out in self-defence.
The prime minister told parliament that Britain’s actions, taken with the US, were backed up by legal advice from the attorney general that the government would publish on Tuesday.
“If necessary, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond again in self-defence,” said Sunak, who added that an initial analysis showed carefully selected targets were destroyed and there were no civilian casualties.
However, he came under pressure to reveal more on the UK’s long-term aims from backbench Labour MPs, the Scottish National party and the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, who said there was broad support for the actions but that MPs should be allowed a vote in order to underline that.
Sunak said MPs would be allowed a “general debate” in the Commons on Wednesday over the military intervention.
Jeremy Quin, the new Conservative chair of the Commons defence committee, also asked the prime minister if he agreed there might need to be “a prolonged, persistent, targeted campaign” in order to protect civilian shipping.
Sunak replied: “I just want to be absolutely clear that no decision has been taken to embark on a sustained campaign of the nature that you mentioned. These were limited strikes, specifically in response to threats that we’ve received.”
MPs also sought to press Sunak over Benjamin Netanyahu’s doubling down on his opposition to Palestinian statehood.
The Israeli prime minister’s words had “inflamed hopes for peace” and echoed the views of Hamas, he was told by the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson, Layla Moran, who cited reports that the death toll in Gaza had reached 25,000 and added that her own relatives were still trapped there.
“While you want to have hope, I daresay it has now turned to complete despondency,” she added.
Among other Labour MPs who voiced concerns, Debbie Abrahams told Sunak: “I also share the concerns about what the strategy is, what the contagion to the rest of the Middle East will be and that we are potentially bolstering the Houthis’ position in Yemen.”
Responding to Sunak’s initial statement, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, said his party would judge further action against the Houthis on a case-by-case basis and that it backed the current “targeted action to reinforce maritime security in the Red Sea”.
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He also rejected Houthi claims that their actions against shipping were taken in solidarity with Palestinians and said that what was needed was a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and a “decisive step towards a two-state solution”.
However, while there was unease on the part of Labour earlier in the morning about the opposition not being consulted in advance of the strikes, Starmer did not directly refer to this in his statement.
Starmer, the wider cabinet, and the House of Commons speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, were informed at about 10pm, the time of the strikes, rather than before the action.
Asked why Starmer and Hoyle were not told in advance, the prime minister’s official spokesperson told reporters: “Our preference will always be to inform the leader of the opposition and speaker in advance where operational security and strike timelines allow.”
Sunak spoke to the US president, Joe Biden, after which he chaired a meeting of the UK government’s Cobra committee to discuss the attacks. He then told Starmer and the speaker at about 10pm while the planes were in the air.
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