There is no prospect of the SNP supporting strikes in Syria under the strategy put forward by David Cameron, the party’s deputy leader has said.
Stewart Hosie, the Dundee East MP, said they “couldn’t possibly support” the UK Government’s current proposals and disputed claims that high-precision bombing would prevent civilian casualties.
He told the Andrew Marr Show the focus should instead be on forging a truce between rebel forces in Syria and on “following the money” to disrupt the flow of oil and arms through ISIL.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said he would like to see a Commons vote on Syria this week, but added the UK Government must “keep building the case” because they do not yet have enough support.
Jeremy Corbyn, the anti-war Labour leader whose shadow cabinet is split over intervention, risked antagonising his colleagues by saying he alone has the final decision on whether MPs are made to vote against military action.
Mr Hosie said they were willing to hear Mr Cameron’s case after Nicola Sturgeon previously described her party as being in “listening mode”.
But he added: “Unless they have they plan which not just the SNP but one that many people want to see to avoid the anarchy of Libya, then of course we couldn’t possibly support conflict in the current climate.”
“The one thing that Syria doesn’t lack is people dropping bombs on it Jordan, UAE, Russia, Turkey, France, any number of sides in this multi-faceted Syrian war,” he added.
“We are yet to be convinced that the UK flying a few a more sorties in Raqqa is going to make any significant difference.”
Mr Marr suggested the SNP’s policy of “in effect doing nothing” to target ISIS territory, which is being used to plot attacks and dispatch terrorists, will not keep places like Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee safe.
Mr Hosie insisted their policy is not “do nothing” and called for a truce between non-Daesh factions in Syria because “they are the ones who will take the fight to them on the ground”.
He said the UK Government and others should place greater emphasis on dismantling the financial clout of ISIL.
“They [ISIL] are selling prodigious amounts of oil,” he said.
“Where’s it going to? Who’s transporting it? They are buying huge amounts of ammunition. Who’s supplying it? Let’s follow the money and degrade and destroy in every conceivable way.”
Mr Hosie said as well as a post-conflict strategy for reconstruction and stabilisation, there must be a Chapter 7 UN resolution that will guarantee legality and international agreement.
Mr Fallon said he had been briefing Labour MPs on military action all week but stressed the Government does “not yet” have a guaranteed majority to back airstrikes.
The Conservative MP told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “We would like to have a vote for military action this week but we have got to keep building the case.”
He said there are “always risks in war” in crowded airspace, as witnessed with the downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkish fire, but said the “risks of doing nothing are greater”.
Mr Corbyn said bombing in Syria would be a “distraction from the political process” to end the civil war and would lead to civilian casualties.
Asked whether Labour MPs about half of whom are thought to support action – would be given a free vote, Mr Corbyn said: “No decision has been made on that yet, I am going to find out what MPs think.”
He added that the decision on whether or not to engage the whip would be a final decision for him alone.