The seating of Syria's new parliament in Damascus this morning has set alarm bells ringing in Whitehall. The Foreign Office issued a carefully worded statement warning that the move, which cements loyalists in the final legislative positions, risks deepening the country's fragmentation. This is not a step toward reconciliation. It is a consolidation of power.
Diplomatic sources tell me that British officials are particularly concerned about the exclusion of any opposition figures. The new chamber is a rubber stamp. A venue for regime acolytes to nod through decrees from Damascus. The message from Downing Street is clear: this is not a parliament. It is a theatre.
But the real game is elsewhere. The UK's policy on Syria has been a mess for years. A muddled mix of humanitarian aid, sanctions, and half-hearted support for opposition groups that never cohered. Now, with the regime's grip tightening, the calculus shifts. The big fear in Whitehall is that this consolidation will embolden Assad to launch a new offensive in Idlib. The last rebel stronghold. A humanitarian catastrophe waiting to happen.
I am hearing from a well-placed source that the Foreign Office is scrambling for a response. But the cupboard is bare. The US is distracted by its own internal turmoil. Europe is divided. And Russia is backing Assad to the hilt. The best Britain can hope for is to hold the line on sanctions. But even that is fraying. Some EU states are whispering about normalisation. It is a dangerous game.
The new parliament's first act? Ratifying a budget that funnels billions into the military and intelligence apparatus. Not reconstruction. Not humanitarian aid. War. The message to the Syrian people is unmistakable: you are on your own.
Back in London, the opposition is circling. Labour MPs are demanding a full debate on Syria policy. But the government has no answer. The arc of history in Syria is bending toward authoritarian triumph. And Britain is watching from the sidelines, issuing stern warnings that no one heeds.
This is a developing story. But the trajectory is clear. Assad's victory is almost complete. And the West has run out of cards.
