Labour free vote on Syria 'hands victory to Cameron'

Diane Abbott, shadow international development secretary and a key Jeremy Corbyn ally, has told the Today programme that allowing a free vote on Syria to the labour party "hands victory to Cameron over these air strikes".

"We're a party of government and a party of government has to have a position on matters of peace and war," she told presenter Sarah Montague.

Ms Abbott said that leader Jeremy Corbyn did not want to see either sackings or resignations.

“However, the party and increasingly the public would be disappointed if we didn’t oppose these air strikes to the limits of our ability,” she said.