Three weeks ago Crispin Blunt, the chair of the Foreign Affairs select committee whose voice is crucial for Cameron in winning over MPs on Syria, opposed war:

“We are concerned that the Government is focusing on extending airstrikes to Syria, responding to the powerful sense that something must be done to tackle ISIL in Syria, without any expectation that its action will be militarily decisive, and without a coherent and long-term plan for defeating ISIL and ending the civil war… [as things stand] the Government should not try to obtain Parliamentary approval to extend British military action to Syria.”

Today Blunt backed bombing:

“On balance the country would be best served by this House supporting [the PM’s] judgement.

That should help Mark Harper get the numbers…