Syria and the question of whether to bomb or not to bomb

Labour’s opposition to bombing Syria was established at its recent party conferences (Labour debate on Syria, 30 November). As this view has since been augmented by a clear majority of the wider membership, the stated opinion of Scottish party leader Kezia Dugdale, an at best ambiguous mood among the general public, not to say the testimony of exiles from Raqqa pleading for a respite from western military intervention of the type envisioned by Cameron, on the basis of what possible mandate are Labour rebels planning to vote with the government? No doubt they feel privileged to have been drawn into the confidences of the Tory cabinet. But given recent history, they must surely suspect such briefings as likely to be informed by political rather than moral expedience.