MPs should be able to follow their "own judgement" on possible air strikes over Syria, the shadow chancellor has said.
About a possible Commons vote to decide the issue, John McDonnell said: "There are some issues like going to war that should be above party politics."
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is opposed to air strikes in Syria against Islamic State (IS) militants - putting him at odds with much of his shadow cabinet.
French president Francois Hollande has called on MPs to support the action.
In Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister David Cameron set out what he has called the "compelling case" for extending air strikes against IS from Iraq into Syria.
While making clear his personal opposition to the extension of air strikes, Mr McDonnell said the "horrendous mistake" of the Iraq war had been partly due to MPs being "whipped and threatened and pushed" into supporting "something many of them did not believe in".
Speaking on Radio he said: "There are some issues like going to war that should be above party politics, and I think we are moving to a situation where hopefully in all parties on issues like this a moral conscience should be above the whip as well.
"On certain issues, the ones really above party politics, we have got to have mature politics in our democracy now. This is a matter of conscience. You are sending people out possibly to die.
"There shouldn't be any party discipline on matters like this. You should follow your own judgement on what you think is best for the constituency and the country."
Survey of members
Senior shadow cabinet members have been seeking to defuse an internal party row over the issue, which threatens to split Labour.
Mr Corbyn faced warnings of resignations after he wrote to Labour MPs expressing his opposition to air strikes and rejecting the prime minister's case for military action.
The Labour leader has sent out a survey to party members asking for their views and urging them to respond by the start of next week.
He has also told his MPs to go back to their constituencies this weekend and canvas the views of members.
Report says Mr Corbyn's supporters are "convinced that his views are closer to Labour's grass roots than those of dissenting MPs".
Report adds: "His opponents suspect him of trying to bypass the parliamentary party, and appeal directly to the members who elected him in such numbers in September, before he returns to face Labour's shadow cabinet on Monday."
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson said shadow cabinet members who disagreed with Mr Corbyn's position would not be resigning.
Mr Watson hinted a free vote - allowing the shadow cabinet and Labour MPs to vote as they please - might be the best way out of the situation.
Growing 'momentum'
It is understood senior government ministers, including Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, will ring Labour MPs over the weekend to press the case for action.
Mr Hammond said there was growing "momentum" among MPs in support of extending RAF air strikes against IS into Syria.
He said ministers would give MPs the chance to reflect over the weekend on Mr Cameron's case before deciding whether to press for a Commons vote.
Speaking at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta, Mr Hollande thanked the UK for its support in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month.
He said: "I do hope that the House of Commons will be able to meet the request of Prime Minister Cameron."
Mr Cameron has vowed to hold a Commons vote on joining air strikes in Syria when he is confident he can win it, which could depend on persuading enough Labour MPs to back his case to counter any Conservative rebellion.
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I hope this doesnt deteriorate to .....
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