PM 'Bulldozes' Through Labour's 'Shambolic' Mess: "Mr Cameron will win. How do we know this? Because he has always said he will only hold a vote if he is confident he can win, and now he has set a date."

Mr Cameron is certain he can win the vote

On Wednesday Jeremy Corbyn will set out "Labour's view" that the UK should not conduct airstrikes in Syria.

His shadow foreign secretary will then argue that it absolutely should.

I have checked, and apparently this is fine with the Labour leadership.

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The fact that the party's representative on foreign policy is going to oppose his party's line on the biggest foreign policy issue facing the country does not mean he can't carry on in his job.

"It's certainly unusual," said Mr Corbyn's spokesman. "But we have known all along that people have different views."

"Who Will Back Corbyn Over Syria?"

He went on to deny suggestions that Labour's position was "shambolic" adding: "The majority of Labour MPs will vote against the Government, even under a free vote and if he (Mr Cameron) is looking for a consensus to back this war - he is not going to get it."

But across the road in Number 10, David Cameron had decided he had "growing support across parliament" and would win the vote. Hence the best thing to do would be to hold it as soon as possible.

Dismissing Mr Corbyn's suggestion for a two day debate next week, the Prime Minister set the discussion for a single date - this Wednesday.

Mr Corbyn would later describe this as "matters of national security" being "bulldozed through the House of Commons for political convenience".

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Although, by all accounts, he himself had just been bulldozed at his own parliamentary party meeting. One party grandee emerged from the MPs gathering saying it was one of the most "uplifting" PLP meetings he had attended because of the "ferocity of the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn".

Indeed Margaret Beckett had told the room: "We can not unite the party if its leadership is determined to divide us."

"Syria: It's Complicated"

There are suggestions that as many as 90 MPs could rebel against "Labour's view" on Syria.

Yet many MPs leaving the meeting were supportive of Mr Corbyn's stance and others who were uncertain reacted badly to Mr Cameron's decision to press ahead so quickly.

One shadow cabinet member, who on balance supports airstrikes, was frustrated to learn that Mr Cameron was "trying to bounce through" the debate.

He told me: "It's a big mistake for him to rush it. That could lose him 40 votes. I'm now even thinking I might change my mind."

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But Mr Cameron will win. That is of little doubt. How do we know this? Because he has always said he will only hold a vote if he is confident he can win, and now he has set a date.

Sky