Rushanara quits as shadow edn minister over vote on Iraq military action

Bangladesh-born British MP Rushanara Ali has resigned from opposition front bench to abstain from a vote in UK Parliament that approved air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq. After a 7-hour debate, the House of Commons voted for military action by 524 votes to 43 on Friday night (GMT). But British daily The Guardian on its live blog said Rushanara voted for the motion, but also against it while being ‘actively abstained’. Rushanara’s resignation as shadow education minister came in a letter to Labour leader Ed Miliband. In her letter, Rushanara said ‘I am unable in conscience to support the motion and I will make a deliberate abstention.’ The Sylhet-born politician further said she shared other MPs’ revulsion at the ‘horrific and barbaric’ actions of IS but was concerned that military action would create further bloodshed for the people of Iraq, according to bdnews24.com.