David Cameron accused of using Armistice Day as excuse to avoid awkward PMQs question on Syria war

‘With respect, I would suggest that on Armistice Day we should put aside political questions,” says Mr Cameron at PMQs

File: David Cameron meets British soldiers at the Task Force Helmand HQ in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan in 2009 (AFP/Getty Images)

David Cameron has faced an angry backlash after he evoked Armistice Day to avoid a difficult question on military intervention in Syria.

The Prime Minister faced accusations of an “incoherent” approach to involving Britain’s armed forces in the conflict-ridden Middle East country this week from an influential Tory-controlled Commons committee.

It was reported on Monday night that Mr Cameron had quietly abandoned plans to push for RAF air strikes against the Isis militant group in Syria, and that a vote on the issue in the Commons will not now go ahead.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s questions, the Labour MP Paul Flynn asked if the examples of previous “political mistakes” in the Middle East would be enough to convince him against intervention in Syria.

The MP for Newport West said: “Will he spare a thought on Armistice Day for the 633 of our bravest and best who died as a result of two political mistakes? The 179 [who died] in pursuit of non-existent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and the 454 who died in the Helmand incursion that promised no shot would be fired.

“Will he rethink his own plan to order more of our brave soldiers to put their lives on the line in the chaos and confusion of a four-sided civil war in Syria?”

In his response, Mr Cameron said he had “great respect” for Mr Flynn.

“But with respect, I would suggest that on Armistice Day we should put aside political questions about conflicts and decisions that were made and we should simply remember the men and women who put on a uniform, go and serve and risk their lives on our behalf.

“Let’s make Armistice Day about that, and not about other questions.”

Mr Cameron’s answer provoked an angry response from PMQs viewers, with some writing on Twitter that the precise point of Armistice Day ought to be “to focus our minds on preventing future wars”.

Mr Cameron has been paving the way for British air strikes in Syria, announcing moves to bolster SAS operations in the country and to double the number of unmanned drones operating in its airspace.

But in its report, the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said: “We believe there should be no extension of British military action into Syria unless there is a coherent international strategy that has a realistic chance of defeating Isis and of ending the civil war in Syria.

“In the absence of such a strategy, taking action to meet the desire to do something is still incoherent.”