Majority of Labour members oppose Syria airstrikes, poll finds

Jeremy Corbyn is to go into a crunch meeting with his shadow cabinet armed with an internal party survey showing that three-quarters of members oppose extending RAF airstrikes in Syria.

The party said a random sample of full individual Labour party members showed 75% were against UK bombing in Syria, 13% were in favour and 11% were undecided.

The figures showed the party had received 107,875 responses in a consultation, of which 64,771 were confirmed to be from full individual members. The remainder included affiliated supporters and registered supporters.

The data was released on Monday as Corbyn was due to discuss with his shadow cabinet whether to impose a three-line whip against airstrikes on his MPs, a decision that could lead to resignations unless he lifts shadow cabinet collective responsibility.

The value of the poll is bound to be challenged by some shadow cabinet members who will say they need to make decisions based on their principle, as well as think about what Labour voters believe.

However, Corbyn’s supporters believe he is winning over the parliamentary party and think the threat of resignations may be a bluff. He knows he cannot forceDavid Cameron to abandon a Commons vote unless he puts maximum pressure on his own MPs.

The prime minister has not ruled out holding a vote if he does not have the support of the Labour party, but he has said he needs a clear majority in the Commons before deciding to put the issue to a vote.

Cameron has instructed security officials to give high-level briefings to privy councillors from all sides of the Commons on Monday in a bid to answer questions from sceptical MPs on the effectiveness of airstrikes in Syria.

Many MPs are unconvinced of Cameron’s claims that there are 70,000 effective moderate ground troops capable of taking up territory liberated from Isis in northern Syria.

Downing Street insisted that security officials were not acting as advocates for airstrikes, something that would challenge their impartiality. No 10 also indicated that the terms of a draft motion were being discussed with MPs across parties in order to broaden support for airstrikes. Some Labour MPs fear the wording will leave Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s president, in power.