Labour pledges ‘swift decision’ on lifting Syrian group ban after Assad regime falls

The UK Government will make a swift decision on whether to lift the ban on Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) after it ousted president Bashar Assad’s regime, Labour's Pat McFadden has said.

HTS is banned in the UK because of its past association with al Qaida, the terrorist organisation once led by Osama bin Laden.

Speaking to Mishal Husain on BBC Radio 4 on Monday (9 December), the cabinet minister said “The situation is very fluid” but hoped if there was a need to hold talks with HTS “it should be a relatively swift decision”.

It came after a coalition of rebel groups seized Damascus on Sunday, with the former president fleeing to Russia, one of his main allies.