Are Lib Dems swinging both ways on Syria?

It was one of those “oh, just one more thing, Minister” questions after an interview about international tax. I asked Danny Alexander, as a Liberal Democrat, how he felt about arming the Syrian rebels.

In a short exchange (clearly thought through knowing the question would come up sooner or later) he swung both ways. “What we know is the (Syrian) govt have been using chemical weapons”, came the first response.

So the Clegg/Alexander axis of the Lib Dems seem happy to accept the claims of the intelligence services here and in America (the same ones they were rather more suspicious about over Iraq, presumably) that Syria has been using nerve gas.

It is also content, apparently, not to mention the claims from other quarters including the UN’s Carla Del Ponte that rebel groups may also have used Sarin. But then he added “The test I would apply is: is any proposed action actually going to make a difference? I don’t think that case is proven yet”. So he appears to be against arming the rebels, for now.

That’s chimes with reports of what Nick Clegg has been saying, and is clearly what a lot of MPs from all parties think too. However it clearly allows room for the Lib Dems to be convinced yet.

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