The latest use of chemical weapons in Syria is appalling and cannot be ignored.

The decades old ban on these weapons will count for nothing if there is not a meaningful sanction for them being used. The Russian veto of a draft UN Security Council Resolution is sadly unsurprising, but does remove several alternative options to military action in responding to this. It is also worth noting reference of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court has been vetoed in the past by Russia and China.
 
The Prime Minister has legal authority to authorise our forces to take part in action alongside our allies, to both punish the use of these weapons and to prevent their further use. If the intelligence confirms the Syrian Regime is behind the attacks and which of their forces were involved, the PM would be right to take proportionate military action together with our allies in response, rather than wait with the potential for further attacks to be launched in the meantime.
 
A decision to take no action also has consequences and is not a neutral course of action. If nothing effective (in terms of impact on those responsible) is done in response to the use of chemical weapons there is a danger others will conclude they can also use such weapons and expect no meaningful sanction, with all the dreadful consequences this could bring.