http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1631000/1631501.stm


Thursday, 1 November, 2001, 03:01 GMT
Rebel MPs push for war vote





B52s are the latest aircraft in action over Afghanistan

Labour MPs opposed to the bombing of Afghanistan will
try to force a vote at the end of the latest Commons
debate on the war.

Although the government has been prepared to
sanction a number of debates and statements, it has
refused to give MPs the chance to vote on the military
offensive.

But a group of rebel Labour MPs hope to force a vote on
a technical motion.

They accept it would be purely symbolic and that their
numbers are likely to be small but hope it will increase
the pressure on the government to allow a full
Commons vote.

The Labour MP for
Shrewsbury and Atcham,
Paul Marsden, believes it is
time for the government to
listen to its backbenchers.

He told the BBC: "There is a
number of us who have had
enough.

"We are going to try and
force a vote to at least
record that some of us do
not like the fact that there is
a bombing campaign in
Afghanistan," Mr Marsden
said.

"Hundreds of innocent people are being killed.

"Clearly there is no proper help being given to those
who are starving to death," Mr Marsden said.

"And they are just as innocent as those that died in the
atrocities on 11 September."