Theresa May 'plans vote on Syria air strikes if Tories win election'
Prime Minister reportedly ready to ask MPs to reverse 2013 vote if she wins a sizeable majority

Theresa May is reportedly considering calling parliament to vote on joining US air strikes in Syria if the Tories win a large enough majority in June's general election.
According to the Daily Mirror, the Prime Minister wants MPs to approve future action in the event of a chemical attack by President Bashar al-Assad's regime.
However, adds the paper, such a vote "will spark fears of mission creep, forcing Britain to suffer another Afghanistan and Iraq-type war".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
At least 86 people were killed in a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, in Idlib province, last month. Traces of a nerve agent similar to sarin were found in the blood of victims.
While Assad's forces denied responsibility, Donald Trump launched a retaliatory strike against a Syrian airbase.
The government is now convinced the Syrian leader was behind the attack, the Mirror says.
May would need to reverse the vote of 2013, when MPs ruled out military action against Assad following a previous alleged chemical attack, to approve the use of planes, warships and submarines.
While Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has indicated the government could carry out air strikes without parliament's backing, The Guardian says the Prime Minister would rather have its approval.
Johnson also said last week that he and May believe it would be "very difficult" for the UK to decline future requests from the US to join air strikes in the event of another chemical attack.
Britain is already aiding the US in military action in Syria and Iraq, with RAF warplanes hitting Islamic State targets in both countries, although the government has not yet participated in air strikes against the Assad regime.
May has made defence a key issue in her campaign against Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who in April said he would move to suspend air strikes in Syria and prioritise peace talks instead.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 29, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - my way or Norway, running orders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 tactically sound cartoons about the leaked Signal chat
Cartoons Artists take on the clown signal, baby steps, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
'Do we really need another mountain named McKinley?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
A running list of Tulsi Gabbard's controversies
In Depth Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence has a history of ideological reversals
By David Faris Published
-
What's the future for foreign aid?
Today's Big Question President Trump's US aid freeze could change the humanitarian landscape for good
By Jamie Timson, The Week UK Published
-
Why Cuba and 3 other countries are on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list
The Explainer How the handful of countries on the U.S. terrorism blacklist earned their spots
By David Faris Published
-
Syria's Kurdish community at the center of a post-Assad game of geopolitical tug-of-war
THE EXPLAINER The fall of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad has created a power vacuum that threatens some of the United States' staunchest allies in the region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine and Syria: a budding new friendship
The Explainer Why Zelenskyy's government is rapidly building ties with Russia's former ally in the Middle East
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published