UK urges Assad to go as emergency debate continues

Britain repeated its call on Tuesday that President Bashar al-Assad should step aside, citing his "barbaric cruelty" toward Syria's people, as his forces stood poised to recapture Aleppo.

"We do not think that President Assad, who is presiding over such barbaric cruelty to the people of Syria, is a route to a long-term, secure and prosperous future for Syria," Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokeswoman told reporters.

"That's why we think there needs to be a political transition away from Assad."

The UN said on Tuesday it had credible reports of pro-government forces in Aleppo executing dozens of civilians including women and children as the crucial battle for the city neared its end.

Read more here: Atrocities in Aleppo as regime kills, rapes, burns bodies

May's spokeswoman said the reports coming out of the city were "extremely concerning".

"Our first priority has absolutely got to be to get aid to those whose lives are in danger," she said.

"More broadly we continue to work with partners to look at what steps we can take to make sure people are held to account for their actions there, and that work will continue."

Britain will press fellow European Union leaders at a summit on Thursday to secure a "strong, clear statement" on the situation in Aleppo, "the need for humanitarian access and for a ceasefire," she said.

Assad's forces look set to overrun the last pocket of rebel territory in east Aleppo, dealing the biggest blow to opposition fighters in more than five years of civil war.

Emergency debate on Syria

Meanwhile the UK Parliament held an emergency debate on Aleppo with MPs across all parties calling for the UK to facilitate aid to the besieged neighbourhoods and the safe evacuation of trapped civilians. 

Many MPs expressed regret over the 2013 vote not to intervene against Assad with Labour’s John Woodcock saying  he "felt sick" about former leader Ed Miliband congratulating himself at the time for "stopping a war".

George Osborne, former Chancellor, said that "we are beginning to learn the price of not intervening," saying that inaction in Syria has lead to the Islamic State, a humanitarian crisis, and the rise of fascist groups in Europe.  

He said MPs are "deceiving" themselves if they think they have no responsibility for what happened.

Labour’s Alison McGovern, co-chair of the all-party group on Syria, said Britain’s priority must be to help civilians escape Aleppo and to deliver aid to those who cannot leave and asked if FM Boris Johnson will support the call for an immediate ceasefire.

MPs also commented on the dangers that Russia poses not only to Syria, but internationally. 

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said it is "highly probable" that Russia intervened in the EU referendum as well as the US elections, and Liberal Democrat Tom Blake suggested freezing the UK assets of Russian war criminals.