Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think about whether Liberal Democrat MPs should support air strikes against Daesh in Syria. 975 party members responded – thank you – and we’re publishing the full results.
We wanted to test feeling in the party about whether and in what circumstances members would back airstrikes in Syria. Over two thirds said that they would oppose them in current circumstances, with less than a quarter in favour. However, when we looked at a Syria where there was a real post war plan, or a more coherent army of ground forces to support, that changed radically, with most members who expressed a preference supporting using UK air power to defeat Daesh. Only 10.7% of people agreed that we should never back airstrikes, with 75% answering “no” to that question.
There is very strong backing for Tim Farron’s Five Tests, with two thirds of members saying that they were “about right.”
Here are the answers in full:
Do you think that Liberal Democrat MPs should vote to back UK airstrikes in Syria in the following circumstances:
Before a wider solution to the Syrian Civil War is in place (ie now)
Yes 24.31%
No 67.18%
Don’t know 8.51%
As part of an agreement with other states to end the war
Yes 56.51%
No 31.28%
Don’t know 12.21%
Only to support a wide coalition of ground troops
Yes 46.46%
No 35.28%
Don’t know 18.26%