House of Commons Syria debate - as it happened: Jeremy Corbyn secures emergency debate on UK military action
PM denies following Donald Trump's lead by launching air strikes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has faced MPs to defend her decision to launch air strikes against the Syrian government, but ducked calls to give parliament a retrospective vote on the matter.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the prime minister dismissed suggestions the government had followed the “whims” of Donald Trump and insisted she had taken the decision to launch strikes because it was in the UK's national interest.
But she faced criticism from MPs, including some on her own benches, for not seeking a vote of parliament before launching the strikes.
Instead, the Commons is likely to vote on the issue on Tuesday after Jeremy Corbyn was granted permission for a debate on intervention in Syria.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
The director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has delivered an update to the body's executive council regarding the investigation into the Douma attack.
The OPCW considered initial reports of a chemical attack "credible", following preliminary analysis, Ahmet Üzümcü said, and set up an investigative team (FFM) two days afterward.
On 10 April, the OPCW told its Syrian delegation it planned to deploy investigators to Douma "as early as possible", and received an acknowledgment and request that they attend the same day.
Russia's ambassador and Syria's vice foreign minister echoed that request, Mr Üzümcü said.
The same day the UN secretary-general expressed "full support for the work of the OPCW in Syria and promised to provide all assistance we may need", Mr Üzümcü's statement said, while the UN's safety and security department (UNDSS) was closely involved.
It continued: "An advance group of three experts from the FFM arrived in Beirut on Thursday, while the remaining six members joined them on Friday.
"The full team received a security briefing from UNDSS in Beirut on Friday. On Saturday the team proceeded to Damascus, where they
met with officials of the National Authority to work out a plan for the deployment.
"The team has not yet deployed to Douma. The Syrian and the Russian officials who participated in the preparatory meetings in Damascus have informed the FFM team that there were still pending security issues to be worked out before any deployment could take place.
"In the meantime the team was offered by the Syrian authorities that they could interview 22 witnesses who could be brought to Damascus."
On Monday Russia said that the team's deployment had been delayed because it did not have a UNDSS permit, and because of Saturday's air strikes, amid accusations it was blocking access.
The Kremlin has denied it has tampered with the site of the alleged chemical attack.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that condemnation of events in Syria cannot "become a blank cheque for western governments to engage in ineffective and potentially counterproductive military action".
She said: "Friday night's air strikes, launched before any evidence had been presented by chemical weapons inspectors and without the approval of Parliament, are in my view unlikely to take Syria a single step closer to peace and security.
"On the contrary they risk a dangerous escalation of an already horrendous situation.
"Indeed what happened at the weekend in some ways felt more like the latest act in a power play between presidents Trump and Putin than any serious attempt to resolve the conflict in Syria.
"And we know the last time UK foreign policy became subservient to the will of a US president intent on conflict, the result was the the Iraq war. That can never ever be allowed to happen again."
Theresa May is now up. She says all indications are that the attack on Douma was a chemical weapons attack. The images of are "haunting", she says, describing the horrific injuries inflicted on Syrians in the region. Intelligence indicates that regime helicopters were over the region on the evening of the attack.
"No other group could have carried out this attack," the Prime Minister says. The opposition and Isis simply do not have the capabilities to carry out such an attack.
May says she needed to intervene rapidly to alleviate the humanitarian suffering.
Regrettably we had no choice to conclude that diplomatic action on its own would not work, she says.
May says the Cabinet considered the advice of the attorney general last week - it was not only morally right, but legally right, she says.
May is now outlining the various targets around Syria targeted by the UK, the US and France over the weekend.
OPCW cannot attribute responsibility for attack, in any case Russia is blocking their entry to Douma, says May
May rejects criticism of her strategy, saying: "We have not done this because President Trump asked us to do so."
She says there is broad based international support for action, adding that she has had conversations with several world leaders over the weekend to update them on the Syrian strike.
"This was a deliberately targeted strike," she says. May claims that some of the intelligence information used could also not be shared with MPs.
"We cannot go back to a world where the use of chemical weapons becomes normalised," May says. "I am clear that the way we protect our national interest is by standing up to the global rules and norms that keep us safe".
Jeremy Corbyn is now responding to May's statement - he thanks her for advance notice for the airstrikes on Friday evening.
He says the PM is accountable to this Parliament, not to the whims of the US President. He repeats his call for a War Powers Act, to curtail the power of the executive and force Prime Minister's to seek approval of any future military action from the House of Commons.
Corbyn says he believes the action is "legally questionable".
"I believe the action was legally questionable, and on Saturday the UN Secretary General said as much, reiterating that all countries must act in line with the UN Charter"
He asks what assessment the PM had made on launching missiles at scientific laboratories close to civilian populations.
Corbyn also says that evidence does point to the Syrian leader but other groups have used such weapons and the attack should be investigated by inspectors.
The senior Conservative MP Ken Clarke says he "fully supports" the government's actions over the weekend.
"We can all debate these facts - but it takes a real Prime Minister to face up," he says.
He raises concerns, however, about a lack of debate in Parliament over the use of military power against another state.
"Parliament will hold me to account for the decision that has been taken," she says.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments