NO . . . Richard Arkless
Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell, who is the Scottish Secretary, backed the Prime Minister’s proposals for action, which won with a majority of 174.
But Dumfries and Galloway’s Richard Arkless, SNP, voted against, and said: “The Prime Minister did not make a convincing case for air strikes.”
Mr Arkless said there were strong feelings locally on the issue, adding: “It was very clear to me that the vast majority of people wanted me to vote against the strikes and I support them in this view. Over 96 per cent of the constituents who contacted me asked me to vote against air strikes and having looked at all the evidence, that is what I decided to do.”
Concerned about the Parliamentary result, he added: “In my view, UK participation in air strikes plays directly into the hands of extremists. It will create a surge of new recruits to Daesh who will be keen to find any justification for their horrific actions and support for their twisted ideology.
“We are embarking on an ill-considered military intervention that has no long-term plan, no exit strategy and no credible way to win peace.”
