Final vote
Yes 397 No 223

Passed by 174, so a substantial majority.

wrong wrong wrong on so many levels

democracy was not done this day ...

wrong wrong wrong on so many levels

Such a tragedy. They will think this was their victory. So this will become an American war. And the end will be the same... except for the numbers who will die before we get there.

The defence secretary, Michael Fallon, disclosed that the aircraft were using Paveway bombs and had “dealt a real blow” to the Isis-controlled oilfields. The British campaign would not in the first instance be hitting Raqqa, deemed to be the command and control centre of Isis, Fallon said, adding that he would personally approve targets.

Fallon said the air campaign, due to be supported by reconstituted Syrian troops, could last three years. “The American estimate of the campaign in Iraq, which began last year, was that it would last at least three years and we’re not halfway through that yet. The operations there by the coalition have lasted just over a year and the prime minister has been pretty clear that this is going to be a long campaign to ensure that Daesh are thrown out of Iraq and that they are degraded and defeated in eastern Syria. This is not going to be quick.”

He said most of the initial airstrikes would focus on Isis depots, supply routes, logistics, command and control and oil wells from which Isis derives revenues.

He said the French, in joining the air campaign a month ago, had been surprised by the number of infrastructure targets. Fallon held out hope that a diplomatic and political path would open up this month with a planned agreement among the Syrian opposition groups in talks in Saudi Arabia. Opposition representatives in turn would attend UN-sponsored peace talks, probably in New York, involving all the key regional partners, including Iran.

Fallon said: “We want a new Syrian state including some of those who are fighting it helping on the ground. Obviously we hope in Syria that we will be able to get the Free Syrian Army, who at the moment largely have been fighting [the forces of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad], involved.
Map of the region

“The best news is the peace process is under way, [involving] all the key partners, like Russia and Turkey, that will lead to a transitional settlement in Syria that will lead to the departure of President Assad, and a new government that can lead to elections in Syria.”

He said: “The Russians are starting to see a future for Syria that does not involve Assad.” He added that some of the argument at the moment among the various partners was about the timetable.

“While that process is under way we have to deal with this terrorist threat to us in western Europe and we need to squeeze the terrorists, and that is what the RAF is now free to do.”

Britain is not coordinating its air campaign with Russia in terms of targets, but there is a formal agreement to prevent conflict between broadly western and Russian air campaigns.

Fallon defended the joint intelligence committee estimate that about 70,000 non-extremist troops were available to fight Isis, a claim that proved to be one of the most contentious in the Commons debate.