This evening, after a difficult battle between my head and my heart, I have taken the decision to vote to support the motion to extend airstrikes exclusively against Daesh in Syria.
The decision on whether or not to extend air strikes over Syria is undoubtedly one of the hardest decision that we, as elected Members of Parliament, will ever have to make, and one which I personally have troubled over for a number of weeks.
This isn't about Party politics, it is about the security of our nation. It is about being able to go about our daily lives knowing that we are safe on our streets and being able to get on with our lives without fear or hindrance.
I believe Daesh fundamentally oppose who we are and what we are, not just what we do, and we should therefore be under no illusion that our country is under threat whether we extend airstrikes or not.
Let us not forget that our brave servicemen and women are already active over Iraq; however their effectiveness is being hampered by the invisible border we have defined.
Daesh does not respect borders and so the way to make the current RAF air strikes more effective is to remove these restrictions over Syria.
In coming to my decision I have had to satisfy myself with the answer to four crucial questions:
- What is the strategy, including humanitarian aid and post-conflict support?
- What is the legal advice?
- Is there a clear UN resolution?
- Is there the backing from my own constituents?
I have listened intently to the statements made by the Prime Minister both today and last week, as well as to the powerful arguments made for and against the case for extending airstrikes by MPs on both sides of the House of Commons.
I have also read carefully and I am grateful for the many representations that have been made to me by Erewash residents on this issue.
Taking all this into consideration, I was satisfied that the questions I asked myself had been answered and that ultimately the right decision was to support the extension of airstrikes exclusively against Daesh in Syria.