David Cameron calls for vote on Wednesday over UK air strikes against Isis targets in Syria

British Prime Minister David Cameron will call a one-day commons debate and vote on air strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria to take place this Wednesday (2 December). The Conservative PM has been building cross-party support for his plan to bomb IS targets across the border to Iraq where the UK are currently operating.

Cameron has previously said that he will only hold a vote when he was confident he could win on the issue. His plans are at odds with opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has said that he cannot support strikes in Syria.

On Monday (30 November) the Labour Party confirmed its MPs will be given a free vote on whether to support the government's plans to launch air strikes in Syria to combat IS. The move came after prominent Labour Party MP's Hilary Benn and Tom Watson said they believed there was a compelling case to bomb targets in Syria.

Cameron said that bombing the jihadists was "the right thing to do". He said: "A vote will take place in the House of Commons to extend the air strikes that we have carried out against Isil in Iraq that we extend that to Syria, that we answer the call from our allies and we work with them because Isil is a threat to our country and this is the right thing to do.

"I believe there is growing support across parliament for the compelling case to answer the call of our allies to act against Isil in Syria and in Iraq - the headquarters in many ways of the terrorists is in Syria and it makes no sense to recognise this border in the action we take when Isil themselves don't recognise this border. So it's in the national interest."

Jeremy Corbyn, has said that he wants a two-day debate on the issue after canvassing the opinion of party members and of MPs since last week. But Cameron promised a "full debate" taking place on one day.

He said: "We will have a very long and full debate on Wednesday and we will take the action necessary to make sure that we have in many ways the equivalent number of hours that you would often have across a two day debate. We will be careful and responsible as we do so and in my view it is right to do this to keep our country safe."

Corbyn said of the one-day debate before Cameron's announcement: "As has happened previously, a one-day debate would inevitably lead to important contributions being curtailed." An internal party poll of 1,900 supporters suggested 75% of Labour members backed Corbyn anti-air strike stance.

The UN Security Council called last week for its nations to unite against the jihadists after the Paris terror attacks, the downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt's Sinai Desert, and further attacks in Beirut and Tunisia. If MP's approve the measure operations could begin in days.