Syria vote: Most Welsh Labour MPs oppose air strikes

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A screen grab taken from a video released by the French army shows French army Rafale fighter jets and Mirage 2000 fighter jets bombing a series of IS sites in Raqqa, SyriaImage source, AFP

More than half of Welsh Labour MPs voted against air strikes on Islamic State militants in Syria, which were approved by a large majority.

Seventeen of Wales' 25 Labour MPs told BBC Wales they would join the three Plaid Cymru MPs in rejecting the plan.

Shadow cabinet member Chris Bryant and junior spokesmen Wayne David and Stephen Doughty were the most prominent Welsh Labour MPs for military action.

All 11 Welsh Tory MPs supported David Cameron's proposals.

Although the Liberal Democrats said they were in favour of air strikes, the party's only Welsh MP, Mark Williams, voted against.

The prime minister said carrying out UK air strikes in Syria would "keep the British people safe", as MPs debated the issue on Wednesday.

MPs previously approved strikes on Islamic State militants in Iraq.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is opposed to air strikes but allowed his MPs a free vote on the issue.

He said David Cameron's case "doesn't stack up".

However, the measure was passed by a large majority of 174 as many Labour MPs voted with the government in favour of air strikes.

Meanwhile First Minister Carwyn Jones has condemned the Prime Minister for branding MPs opposed to air strikes as terrorist sympathisers.