IT IS clear that the prime minister is determined to ‘have his way’ and take the country to war, ostensibly against Islamic State and on the tenuous basis that this awful organisation presents a clear threat to the UK.

I recall Tony Blair made pretty much the same claims when attempting to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Mr Cameron presses all the emotional buttons, citing the beach massacre of Britons in Tunisia as a reason to eliminate Islamic State.

In this Mr Cameron may well have a point but some may perceive his faux outrage against Islamic State as his cover for extending the conflict to achieve his aim of regime change in Syria.

His close colleague George Osborne has publicly stated that: “Western nations are now paying the price for not getting involved in Syria two years ago” – this statement demonstrates the reality behind the new attempt to achieve the result the Conservatives wanted in 2013.

However, the situation today is very different to that of 2013.

The plan now is to eliminate Islamic State, whereas in 2013 the plan was to support Islamic State as they fought alongside the Free Syrian Army against the legitimate army of the Syrian State.

Can you imagine the situation which would exist in the Middle East today if Assad had been deposed two years ago?

And is it really the case that Mr Cameron et al believe the region would be subject to benign democratic influences?

The British and American governments are complicit in supporting the Saudi-led coalition which is currently attacking densely populated areas of Yemen.

The indiscriminate bombing of civilians has led the United Nations to condemn the Saudi-led intervention which has come about due to the downfall of the former president following the so-called ‘Arab Spring.’ As the Saudi coalition of Sunni Muslims seeks to eliminate the Shia opposition we have a bizarre and potentially very dangerous situation in which US warplanes are providing air cover for Shia militias in Iraq and Syria in a joint effort against ISIS, while to the south in Yemen, the Americans are helping Saudi pilots bomb Shia insurgents.

It is all well and good Mr Cameron attempting to make flowery Churchillian speeches (he is no Churchill) while at the same time suddenly finding an odd £12bn to spend on new aircraft, equipment and the development of a rapid reaction force (I thought we already had one) with the EU Rapid Reaction Force consisting of 60,000 service personnel.

What the people of this country want him to do is secure the borders and fulfill his many promises to prohibit the return of jihadists who go to fight in Syria and are then allowed to return to the UK.

DES MORGAN Caraway Drive, Swindon