1) David Cameron is likely to open with a conciliatory tone in an attempt to placate worries about the basis for war among undecided Labour MPs. He is expected to steer clear of partisan swipes at Jeremy Corbyn after he urged Tory rebels not to vote on the same side as “terrorist sympathisers”.
2) It is a very unusual format but Corbyn will speak first for Labour to make the case against airstrikes and Hilary Benn will be closing to put the arguments in favour of bombing. It gives the Labour leader a headstart, making sure his MPs have time to mull over his words. But Benn has the last say, just before voting time at near 10pm.
3) There will be a lot of serious questions from MPs about the intelligence claim that there are 70,000 moderate rebel troops in Syria who can hold territory vacated by the bombing of Isis. This seems to be the weakest link in Cameron’s case. The waverers will be seeking genuine reassurance and those against will use it as evidence that the government has presented a dodgy dossier.
4) Labour MPs are likely to make angry points about Cameron’s insult to their leader, regardless of which way they are going to vote in the debate. In some ways, it will make it more difficult for them to walk through the voting lobby with a prime minister who has made such a slight on Corbyn. But it also gives the pro-airstrikes MPs an opportunity to denigrate Cameron in their speeches so they do not come across as completely on board with the Tories.
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