Damascus has its new parliament. A rubber stamp, as expected. Every last seat held by Assad loyalists. The vote was a farce. Turnout? Fictional. Results? Preordained. In London, the Foreign Office has already issued its verdict. No recognition. No legitimacy. Just a terse statement calling it a ‘sham’.
This is not a surprise. The regime has been consolidating its grip for years. But the timing is telling. Assad knows the world’s attention is elsewhere. Ukraine. Gaza. The cost of living. He is banking on apathy.
Inside Whitehall, there is no appetite for a new Syria policy. The war is frozen. The refugees are stuck. The chemical weapons files gather dust. But this charade in Damascus forces the question: what now? The official line is ‘political transition’. Everyone knows that is dead.
The real game is about sanctions. The UK and EU have them. They hurt. But Russia and Iran prop up the regime. Trade continues. Oil flows. The Assad family buys villas in Moscow. The West’s leverage is hollow.
Labour’s shadow cabinet is quiet. They don’t want to be drawn on Syria. Too many divides. The left wing sympathised with the rebels. The right wing just wants border security. The result is silence.
But backbenchers are stirring. A cross-party group is drafting a motion. They want the UK to push for a UN resolution on new elections. It will fail. Russia will veto. But it sends a signal.
The real story is the erosion of norms. Parliaments are meant to represent. But in Syria, they are just a backdrop for Assad’s photo ops. The UK’s refusal to recognise is a fig leaf. It makes us feel better. It changes nothing in Damascus.
What matters is the message to other strongmen. If you hold a fake election, the West huffs and puffs. Then moves on. Assad has calculated correctly. He will stay. The parliament is his trophy.
For now, the UK’s policy is to wait. Watch. Issue statements. But the clock is ticking. With each sham vote, the idea of a unified Syria fades. The regime is betting on time. And time is on its side.
