Gavin Newlands MP speaks in Parliament debate on Syria
Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, has used a speech in Westminster to strongly criticise the Prime Minister for failing to secure a parliamentary approval before following President Trump in launching airstrikes in Syria last Saturday morning.
Following pressure from the SNP, a debate was held on the military action in Syria on Monday evening.
The Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire North used his speech to criticise the use of chemical weapons on innocent civilians in Syria and called on those responsible to be held to account.
In addition to criticising the Prime Minister’s refusal to consult Parliament before the airstrikes were launched on Saturday morning, Mr Newlands also spoke against the Prime Minister’s failure to outline what her long-term plan is for finding a peaceful resolution to the situation in Syria.
Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:
“Let me be abundantly clear, any proven use of chemical weapons on innocent civilians in Syria is an outrage and those responsible for any such atrocity must be held to account.
“We all want to see a peaceful resolution to the situation in Syria, however, it was completely unacceptable for the Prime Minister to follow President Trump’s in launching a military attack without securing the proper parliamentary approval. As an MP, I should learn about whether this country’s forces are committed to action in Parliament, and not through Donald Trump’s tweets.
“Finding a peaceful resolution to the atrocities committed in Syria should be a cross-party endeavour that seeks to find concensus in the House and across the UK. The Prime Minister’s pushing ahead without Parliament’s approval was a serious mistake, one which she should not repeat again.”
