Prime Minister David Cameron supports airstrikes and has to gain a House of Commons majority to justify action. With a handful of his own lawmakers poised to defy him and the Scottish National Party likely to vote against airstrikes, Cameron needs the support of as many Labour lawmakers as he can summon.
Corbyn, however, has been putting pressure on his lawmakers since last week, saying Cameron has not made the case for war and that airstrikes alone will not put an end to Daesh. He claims innocent lives will be lost in the air campaign and that there is no exit strategy to leave Syria a stabilized nation at the end of any military intervention.
Visitors are welcome to come and watch today's #Syria debate. Waiting times are likely to be longer than usual. https://t.co/dDpk6YkriH
— Visit Parliament (@visitparliament) December 2, 2015
'Murdering Women and Babies'
Corbyn and his allies have been accused of "bullying and intimidating" Labour lawmakers, with The Daily Telegraph newspaper reporting that numerous Labour MPs have been left in tears after being warned by hard-left activists that they will be "murdering women and babies" by backing military action.
The #SyriaVote is incredibly difficult, and I can't stand the derisive way people characterise those who disagree with them. Both sides.
— Jamie Bartlett (@JamieJBartlett) December 2, 2015
Some lawmakers have been threatened with deselection — removal from the list of approved candidate status at the next election, while other have complained that their contact details have been leaked to anti-war protesters, so that they can be lobbied directly by dozens of callers.
"It is a systematic and substantial effort to bully moderate Labour MPs into voting against military action. This is being aided and abetted by Corbyn's office. They are circulating the contact details of MPs who are undecided," one Labour MP who was subjected to sustained abuse told the Guardian.
Sputnik contacted a number of Labour lawmakers Wednesday for comments, but has so far not received a response.
The House of Commons will sit all day hearing debates for and against bombing in Syria. In the end, Cameron is likely to attract around 100 Labour votes which will see him achieve a victory.
For Corbyn, however, the open warfare and intimidation over the issue will likely leave his party even more divided and his leadership plunged further into disarray.
