UK air strikes start in Syria: How Black Country and Staffordshire MPs voted

MPs last night voted by 397 to 223 - a majority of 174 - in favour of extending British action against IS into its Syrian strongholds.

Every Staffordshire and Black Country MPs participated in the vote, but only three voted against taking action: Labour's David Winnick, Valerie Vaz and Rob Marris.

For military action (Conservative):

Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford)

Bill Cash (Stone)

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

Gavin Williamson (South Staffordshire)

Amanda Milling (Cannock Chase)

Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest)

Mike Wood (Dudley South)

Margot James (Stourbridge)

James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis)

Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin)

Lucy Allan (Telford)

For military action (Labour):

Tom Watson (West Bromwich East)

Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West)

John Spellar (Warley)

Emma Reynolds (Wolverhampton North East)

Pat McFadden (Wolverhampton South East)

Ian Austin (Dudley North)

Against action (All Labour):

Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West)

David Winnick (Walsall North)

Valerie Vaz (Walsall South)

Six local Labour MPs, including Deputy Leader Tom Watson, defied Jeremy Corbyn's position and voted with the government.

Local Conservative MPs Mike Wood, Margot James and James Morris, who represent Dudley South, Stourbridge and Halesowen and Rowley Regis respectively, all backed military action.

Similarly, Gavin Williamson (South Staffs), Mark Pritchard (Wrekin) Jeremy Lefroy (Stafford), Amanda Milling (Cannock), Bill Cash (Stone) and Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) all backed the government.

Mr Morris said: "ISIS is a real threat to the UK and to our way of life. Any decision which involves military action can never be taken lightly. This is something I have thought about very carefully."

Labour's David Winnick (Walsall North) and Valerie Vaz (Walsall South), voted against airstrikes. Mr Winnick said: "I'm not a sympathiser of terrorism. I hate terrorism and I doubt if there is a single MP who thinks otherwise."

Four RAF Tornado jets carrying Paveway IV guided bombs took off from the UK's Akrotiri base in Cyprus shortly after the late-night vote in the Commons, to carry out attacks in Syria in the early hours of the morning.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the planes had returned from the "first offensive operation over Syria and have conducted strikes".

Asked about reports that six targets were hit, Defence Secretary Mr Fallon said: "I approved yesterday a series of targets in the Omar oil field - wellheads from which the oil production is derived which helps to finance Daesh.

"All four Tornados have now successfully returned and we will be assessing later this morning the actual damage done. They were using Paveway munitions in an area of oil fields where there was simply oil infrastructure in eastern Syria, a long way from Raqqa itself, down near Iraq.

"It's a very good illustration of a target that is literally one side of the border and couldn't previously be attacked."

Mr Fallon said the Tornadoes had been conducting sorties over Iraq on a nightly basis and were authorised to strike targets in Syria once the result of the Commons vote was known.

"What was really important about the vote last night was that it confirmed that Britain is a serious ally," said Mr Fallon.

"We have come to the aid of France, who requested us to help with our RAF planes, we have responded to the call form the United Nations on all members of the United Nations to do something to suppress this terrorism and eradicate the safe haven that Daesh has."

Asked whether the UK's involvement in military action in Syria would make Britain a target, Mr Fallon told ITV1's Good Morning Britain: "The sad news is we are already a target ... Britain is well up the hit-list for Daesh terrorists.

"We are already a target and we have got to do something about this now."

Attacking IS's oil facilities would deprive them of financing and undermine their operations in north-east Syria, "from where these threats to western Europe, these plots, are all being hatched and devised", he said.

Following Wednesday's divisions in Parliament, Mr Fallon said: "We ended up with a strong and very decisive vote in favour of action and I hope everybody now will rally round that action and support the RAF in their efforts to keep our country safe."

Prime Minister David Cameron said MPs took the "right decision to keep the UK safe".