UK parties set to recall parliament to approve air strikes against Isis

Britain’s main political parties are moving towards an agreement to recall parliament on Friday to allow MPs to approve British involvement in air strikes against Islamic State (Isis) forces.

David Cameron – who will attend a meeting of the UN security council in New York chaired by Barack Obama on Wednesday in the wake of US air strikes against Isis forces in Syria – believes it would be politically impossible for him to proceed without the support of Labour.

The opposition Labour leader, Ed Miliband, whose intervention during an emergency recall of parliament last year helped to stop air strikes against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, is expected to have talks with the prime minister later this week.

There is a growing consensus that there would be a legal basis to launch strikes against Isis forces in Iraq, not least if the government in Baghdad requests British involvement. There is less agreement in following the US example in launching strikes against Isis in Syria.