GWENT MPs will vote today on whether the UK should join air strikes against 'Islamic State' in Iraq.

Countries including the US, France, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have already begun military action against the group claiming to have established an Islamic state in the Middle East.

US and Arab air strikes are taking place in both Iraq and Syria but the vote in Westminster today will deal specifically with Iraq, after its government formally requested military assistance.

Addressing the UN on Wednesday, David Cameron said: “We are facing an evil against which the whole of the world should unite and as ever, in the cause of freedom, democracy and justice, Britain will play its part.”

Parliament has been recalled for the vote and some local politicians have already set out their stalls.

Paul Flynn will be voting “no”. The Labour MP for Newport West, said: “We are a small country but the fourth highest spender on defence in the world. The result is that we spend beyond our interests and die beyond our responsibilities. It’s time we escaped from infantile policies that believe we can win hearts and minds with bombs and bullets.”

But David Davies, Conservative MP for Monmouth, said despite opposing military action against President Assad in Syria in August last year, he would vote with the government today. He said: “The situation in Iraq is not the same as Syria. Some of those fighting for IS come from Britain and if they returned to our country could commit terrible atrocities. IS’s barbaric actions have led to the mass murder of Christians, Yazidis, Kurds and many other Iraqis who stand in the way of their dream of a worldwide Islamic State.”

Paul Murphy, Labour MP for Torfaen, said whatever the controversies of the past he would also support air strikes, noting there is no proposal to send in ground troops: “IS’s recent actions should horrify anyone who believes in decency and humanity, so it’s striking that support for action comes from within the region as well as outside it. As a former Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, the threat that extremist groups like IS pose to us in the UK should not be ignored.”

Jessica Morden, Labour MP for Newport East, and Chris Evans, Labour MP for Islwyn, said they would make a decision after hearing today’s debate. Blaenau Gwent MP Nick Smith declined to comment on how he would vote.

Ms Morden said: “Having met with constituents who have lost family in the recent atrocities and heard their personal accounts, I understand the case for supporting collective action. However, I will listen carefully to the debate and the options on the table before voting.”

Majid Rahman, a councillor for Maindee, attends both the Hereford Road and Harrow Road mosques and said: “I know the chairmen of both mosques have called for action by the UK government. Obviously they would like to see a peaceful resolution instead of military action but they support air strikes without the use of ground troops. I support that as well, as long as it is in cooperation with other Middle Eastern countries.”

He said he would not support air strikes in Syria at the moment but referring to Iraq said: “A democratic country is under threat by a radical extremist group.

I hope the vote will go through tomorrow, as long as there are conditions in place and there is careful consideration of what the targets are.”

Naveed Mughal, a youth leader at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association based in Newport, said he could see strong arguments for and against military action in both Iraq and Syria: “The move might not be popular because it could be seen as invading a foreign land. On the other side, we have to accept IS is the worst form of terrorism we have seen in recent years. Unfortunately, peace talks with them will not be possible. People like IS give other Muslims a bad name, as much as we as a community try to do good work in the UK.”