East Dunbartonshire MP John Nicolson says ‘we will come to regret’ the decision to bomb Syria

The SNP politician voted against it because he was unconvinced by the arguments the Tory government put forward.

Mr Nicolson said: “The UN Commissioner says that the vast majority of deaths in Syria have been caused by aerial bombardment. So the last thing the beleaguered civilians of Syria need is more bombing.

“Daesh does not behave like a regular army. Its troops are not readily accessible targets. They hide in towns and villages and use civilians as human shields. Were they easy to defeat by aerial bombing the dozen countries already bombing Syria would surely have succeeded by now.

“The Prime Minister made a claim in the Commons that our bombers would be supported by 70,000 Syrian opposition fighters. But his claim fell apart during the day’s debate.

“The idea that disparate bands of fighters (numbering much less than 70,000 in any event) without a central command or shared objective would unite and march hundreds of miles in support of UK aerial bombardment is palpable nonsense. And yet it was the key plank of his argument.

“I believe the vote to bomb was a terrible mistake. I think it will increase civilian misery and that, as with Iraq, we will come to regret it.”

For John Nicolson’s full speech visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeNQk8LKHwo