“I don’t relish the thought of etending airstrikes. For me, one innocent life lost is a life too many.”
There are some occasions in life that you dread. That you just know that you will have to face, even though you don’t want to.
Today is one of those days.
Like all of my colleagues here, I don’t relish the thought of extending airstrikes. One innocent life lost is a life too many and yet I find myself standing here before my colleagues, ready to vote for air strikes in Syria.
My mind is very clear, there cannot ever be a justification to allow terrorists to wreak terror and fear across this or any nation.
It just isn’t right.
Earlier this year I came to the house to talk about the tragic shooting of one of my constituents. Scott Chalkley from Chaddesden was shot dead by terrorists whilst he was on holiday in Tunisia.
Then, to have the tragedy in Paris where people were out enjoying themselves to find their lives ended, their loved ones lives taken or their life’s changed dramatically, physically and emotionally.
It’s when things like this happen that it really brings home just how vulnerable we all are.
Events like this take place all over the world and it just makes it so clear to me that we cannot stand by and allow it to happen.
Listening to the Prime Minister on Monday and then today I am satisfied that our intervention is absolutely necessary to protect the way of life that all human beings can reasonably expect.
I recently went to Jordan to visit refugee camps and host communities.
I was really struck by the stories that they relayed about fleeing their homes, leaving behind things that many of us take for granted, such as a roof over our head or the freedom to walk down the street, purely to ensure that their family members could stay alive.
One mother told me that she fled after the death of one of her children to safeguard the lives of her other children from ending so abruptly.
What became clear to me was that all the families I spoke to wanted to return home and we must ensure that we help rebuild Syria so that Syrians can return to the country they love.
I know that this will take time and it’s with great sadness that our intervention needs to happen to ensure that all those here, all of my family, my constituents, all people living in this country, refugees and indeed people all over the world can live a life free of fear.
I am a mother of two grown up daughters. I want them to have children of their own who will run free, not live in fear of being struck down whilst at play. It’s essential that we can help where we can in any way we can
All families deserve this, and it is our duty as elected members to deliver this
So, with a heavy heart, I support these airstrikes. However, I vote with full confidence that it is the right thing to do.
Watch my full speech HERE.