SYRIA/UK: UK MPs authorises air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Syria.

MPs have overwhelmingly voted by 397 to 223 to authorise UK air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Syria.

During a 10-hour debate, David Cameron argued that action against the "medieval monsters" of IS was legal and would "keep our country safe".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the case for war "does not stack up" - but his party was split, with senior Labour figures voting with the government.

The government has said bombing raids would begin "as soon as practical".

Syria vote reaction: Live video and text updates

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he would not give a "running commentary" on operations, having earlier suggested bombings could begin as early as Thursday.

Welcoming the result, Mr Hammond said Britain was "safer because of the actions taken by MPs today".

'Confronting evil'

The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said 67 Labour MPs, including several members of the shadow cabinet, voted with the government to back air strikes after their MPs were given a free vote.

Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn was applauded by MPs from across the House, particularly on the Conservative benches, when he urged his own side to "confront this evil" posed by Islamic State, who he said "held our democracy in contempt".

In an impassioned speech, he said the international community was "faced by fascists and what we know about fascists is that they must be defeated".

While there were "rarely perfect circumstances to deploy military forces", he said " the threat is now" and the UK must rise to the challenge.

Former Cabinet ministers Alan Johnson, Yvette Cooper and Margaret Beckett also spoke in favour of military action. But former leader Ed Miliband was among Labour MPs to vote against.

Full details of which MPs backed air strikes, and which Conservatives rebelled against the government by voting against, will be released in due course.

The SNP, which opposed military action, said it was disappointed and it feared the outcome would lead "to Iraq and Libya all over again".

Democratic indeed but...