'Not in our name' - Lymm mums protest to MP against Syria bombing

The protesters will be collecting signatures in a petition to Warrington South MP David Mowat, asking him to vote against British military air strikes in Syria.

Jen Murphy, 35, said she began organising the protest after she chatted to friends on the school run who all decided they had to ask their MP to vote against any military action by British forces.

“It’s not political,” she said.

“We are united in our need to stand up and make it known that any British strikes in Syria will not be done in our name.”

She invites anybody who feels the same way to come along to Lymm Cross tomorrow morning between 10am and 12pm for a chat, a cup of tea and to add their name to the petition which will be handed to Mr Mowat on Monday.

“The case has not been very firmly made by David Cameron and I hope that David Mowat will listen to his constituents,” said Ms Murphy.

She also believes that if Mr Mowat votes against the air strikes it would improve his popularity among many Lymm residents, including those who voted Conservative.

Mr Mowat previously voted in favour of air strikes against ISIS in Iraq in September 2014.

Ms Murphy, a mum of two, said: “My little boy on the way to school asked me ‘Mummy where do they get the weapons from?’”

When she explained the situation and asked her eight-year-old son if he thought bombing terrorist headquarters would change things, he said: “That’s not going to help.”

“If even an eight-year-old child can see that, then lots of people need to think again if UK air strikes are working,” she said.

Although she does not believe that the UK being involved with air strikes would increase the risk of being targeted by terrorists, she said: “Every child that is killed is collateral damage in bombing and this means that we create [even] more people who are potential terrorists in the future.”

“It worries me what [future] we are leaving for our children.”

For more on the protest, click here.

By Chloe Laversuch