Splits within Labour party advance to the fore as shadow cabinet and MPs give leader a torrid time,despite him allowing free vote “He had no choice,” said one shadow cabinet minister, or describing how Jeremy Corbyn was forced by colleagues to back down on his demand that Labour officially oppose airstrikes in Syria. The revolt of the shadow cabinet was unexpectedly bruising for Corbyn,given that he had already decided to give them a free vote to avoid a mass walkout. The Labour leader had seemed in a strong position at the beginning of the day, having spent the weekend asserting his authority over the parliamentary party by stressing his mandate from the membership. His measured appearances on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, and explaining the holes in David Cameron’s case for military action,appeared to be convincing Labour MPs that the crucial arguments had not been made.
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Source: theguardian.com