AN MP has called on the Government to be cautious about increasing military intervention in Iraq and Syria.

John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay, warned Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond about putting boots on the ground.

He said: “May I encourage caution against those who advocate increased military intervention in Iraq or Syria?

“Our track record over the last decade in understanding the nuances of the region is not good, whether judged by our invasion of Iraq in 2003, the disastrous morphing of the Afghan mission in 2006, Libya, or indeed our different positions regarding the Syrian civil war.”

Mr Baron was speaking in the House of Commons.

Afterwards, he added: “Soldiers only buy time. Only the politicians and administrators can deliver a lasting solution.”