Syria: Cameron Still Wants 'Robust Response'

Vote A Huge Blow To Cameron

Updated: 11:20am UK, Friday 30 August 2013

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor

The Commons defeat over military action in Syria is indeed a stunning blow to David Cameron's authority at both a tactical and strategic level.

No one at Westminster can recall Parliament ever rebuffing a prime minister on the proposed use of force before.

In previous times, a defeat on a matter of defence and security might have caused a government to fall.

That is not expected to happen this time because of the fixed term parliament which binds the coalition government in office.

Nevertheless, the former Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown has told Sky News Mr Cameron is now a "broken-backed prime minister".

To take the tactics first, questions will be asked about why the Prime Minister rushed back from his holiday and recalled Parliament when he had neither the country nor enough of his own coalition behind his wish to join the Americans in a punishment attack on Bashar Assad for the use of chemical weapons.

In a desperate attempt to get a decision from Parliament, Mr Cameron watered down his own proposal.

He made it so the green light was only in principle and only once the UN had completed its work, and promised British MPs a second vote.

Even that was not enough and was rejected in the Commons.

Some of the 30 Tory rebels are now claiming it was a good day for Parliament and the Chancellor says Mr Cameron should be applauded for giving MPs a say.

However, Tony Blair also sought parliamentary approval before the invasion of Iraq, and he won it.

Some blame "the shadow of Iraq" and the general sense that the British people were deceived into a war which turned out badly for the public and political opposition to Syrian involvement.

But New Labour veterans say the Cameron team simply did not do the groundwork making the case for military action.

The Prime Minister will speak to Barack Obama later.

We still don't know if the US will proceed with strikes, but the White House has already made clear that America will not be swayed by the British decision.

The strategic question is what this says about Britain's role in the world.

The Chancellor expressed the hope that this does not mean Britain will turn its back on the world's problems in the future.

Lord Ashdown said he was depressed that we will do nothing about Syrian children being burned.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said he believed the vote would harm the special relationship with the US.

But Conservative rebel and former Defence Minister Crispin Blunt said he would be happy if Britain played a diminished role in the world.

Meanwhile, the New York Times commented that Britain now seems increasingly isolated from its allies in Europe and North America.

Effectively, Mr Cameron now faces the task of rebooting his Government after a severe setback to his personal authority and that of his coalition partner Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

It is likely much will be said about the power of parliament, but the job of a prime minister has traditionally been to lead as first amongst equals.

Instead, Mr Cameron has failed in his objective on Syria, strained Britain's relationships with its closest ally, and failed to make the case for intervention against the use of chemical weapons.

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