If Cameron’s plan for the Middle East wasn’t bad enough, his cynical use of the tragedy in Paris to make political gains shows his true colours

The national press is overwhelmingly supportive of Prime Minister Cameron’s lust for military glory in Syria, and has been lambasting any opposition as “supporting Isis”, but there is a nasty and sordid reason for this demand for military action, at this particular time.

Leave aside the fact that Isis present no greater danger today than they did a month ago – no matter how horrific the murders in Paris were, they did not mark a change in Isis’ strategy or tactics. The carnage of the Belgian train attack could well have been as murderously large as the Paris attacks, were it not for the heroic actions of passengers on the train. Yet there was no call to arms then from Cameron (or Hollande).

The reason for the call, at this time, is the cold-blooded and shameful assessment by Cameron and his co-thinkers, that they can use the outrage felt by any decent-minded person over the Paris attacks to cause splits and division in the Labour Party. What else justifies the individual briefings offered by Cameron to Labour MPs, to ‘update ‘ them on the latest intelligence reports?

If the intelligence is too sensitive to announce to the House of Commons as a whole, then how can it be right to offer it individually to any MP who wants it? If Cameron were serious in his claim that he respects the sincerity of those who oppose his ‘analysis’, he would state that the Tory party would not whip its MPs, but allow a free vote.

In fact, this is a tawdry and callous ploy to treat people’s lives and limbs as pawns in an attempt to discredit the most high-profile anti-establishment figure in British politics. If the likes of John Spellar (one of Corbyn’s leading critics among Labour MPs) had an ounce of integrity, he would be condemning Cameron’s hypocrisy. Instead he colludes in it, ably assisted by an increasingly vicious and prejudiced press.

Like pigs with their snouts in the trough, the anti-Corbyn MPs don’t care about the provenance of the pig swill, as long as they get to scoff it. Which analogy (pig’s heads in troughs) perhaps partly explains Cameron’s new-found desire to cuddle up to them.

Let’s be clear about this. As the consequences of Cameron’s idiocy come home, this will not be a ‘war on terror’, nor a fight against tyranny, nor for women’s rights, or about national defence, or any of the other pious platitudes that Cameron may trot out; this is a blood-sacrifice offered by Cameron for little more than petty partisan political gain. Don’t let him get away with it. Use the Stop the War Campaign’s 2-minute tool to lobby your MP to oppose military intervention and support the anti-war protests and vigils.