Tory MP Claire Perry followed the band and voted last night in favour of the coalition government’s motion supporting the principle of military action against Syria — and the promise of a second vote once all the evidence is made known to the United Nations.
The 49-year-old Devizes MP, who is parliamentary private secretary to Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, voted alongside Mr Hammond only to discover a stunning rebellion by 30 Conservative MPs resulted in the government being devastated by a 13-vote defeat.
And that vote has put a total block on the UK playing any part in any military attack American president Barack Obama is expected to launch in retribution of Syria’s use of chemical weapons against its own people.
But she has adopted the stance of Brer Rabbit and lying low with nothing to say in response to requests from Marlborough News Online. And no explanations for constituents on her website.
Sophie Bolsover, Mrs Perry’s new political adviser, told Marlborough News Online this morning: “I’ve spoken with Claire and due to her duty as PPS to Mr Hammond, she is not able to comment in detail on Syria and so will not be offering any further comments.”
Mr Hammond, who believes the shattering defeat will be welcomed by the Syrian regime, said on TV after the vote: “I am disappointed. We do believe that the use of chemical weapons in this way needs a clear and strong response.
“There is a deep well of suspicion about military involvement in the middle east stemming largely from the experiences of Iraq.
“I don’t think it is anything to do with the Prime Minister, I think it is to do with the legacy of experience.”
Yet throughout the debate MPs insisted military action needed to be delayed until all the evidence is made available and there was a known outcome to any attack on Syria.
They also pointed to the failure of the war in Afghanistan, where nearly 450 British soldiers have been killed, and the failure of the government to act against the use of chemical weapons by dictators in other countries.
Mrs Perry said, somewhat inexplicably, before the debate: “I will listen closely to the debate this Thursday before making any decision but at this point I cannot imagine circumstances in which I would vote to commit British boots on Syrian ground and, as yet, the definitions of what constitutes legal ad proportionate action are unclear.
“What is very clear, however, is how little former Prime Minister Tony Blair has learned from his time in office. His gung-ho urging of intervention rings hollow for many after Iraq and Afghanistan and we need cool heads and calm discussion at a time like this.”
But she has not yet responded to requests from Marlborough News Online for a statement on her decision to back the government motion and her views on the declaration by the Marquess of Lothian – Devizes’ former Tory MP Michael Ancram – that intervention in Syria would be “irresponsible folly”.
A constituency Conservative, who asked Marlborough News Online not to reveal their identity, said: “This debacle is just further evidence of how out of touch Mr Cameron and his colleagues are with public opinion together with the voters’ disenchantment with today’s politicians.
“That has become inevitable since Mr Cameron proposed same sex marriage out of the blue when it was never promoted in our manifesto. That has upset so many senior Conservatives throughout the country.
“Then there was Mr Cameron’s decision, again without any manifesto announcement, to carry out a transformation of the NHS, which has so undermined its performance and led to disastrous results for so many patients.
“The only reason I can fathom for Mr Cameron jumping on his charger and leading a campaign against the use of chemical weapons in Syria is that he thought he was doing a Mrs Thatcher – becoming a hero, just as she did in the Falklands campaign.
“Unfortunately, and I think tragically, he has seriously harmed the party, the country and Britain’s standing in the world by refusing to act in a democratic fashion and not listening to the voice of the people.”
Former Devizes Tory MP Michael Ancram declares action against Syria as “irresponsible folly”
