CEREDIGION MP Mark Williams’ decision to defy his party and vote against air strikes in Syria was “one of the most agonising” of his career, he said this week.

On the day of the vote, Mr Williams said he took the decision to vote against a UK Government motion for air strikes against ISIS — now referred to as ‘Daesh’ by politicians — in Syria because of the lack of a detailed strategy, and because of the “many hundreds of e-mails and representations” he received from constituents.

He said: “After many hundreds of e-mails and representations from constituents across Ceredigion expressing many different opinions, after discussions with colleagues, attending briefings from Government Ministers, and listening to much of the debate on Wednesday, I decided that I could not support the Government in the lobbies authorising air strikes in Syria last night.

“The Prime Minister has talked repeatedly about the presence of local forces of up to 70,000 who would be able to hold territory on the ground, essential for the rebuilding of Syria.

“I was not assured that the 70,000 troops are anything other than a very disparate band of separate groups and I believe it will be hard to galvanise them into an effective force against Daesh.

“This vote was genuinely one of the most agonising of my career.”

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