Corbyn’s views on shoot-to-kill ‘make him unfit to lead’

JEREMY CORBYN was forced to defend his past opposition to police shoot-tokill tactics yesterday, as opponents suggested he was too soft on terrorism to make a suitable prime minister.

Mr Corbyn said in 2015 that he was “not happy” with the policy, which enabled the Metropolitan Police to kill the three London Bridge terrorists just nine minutes after their rampage began on Saturday night.

He subsequently changed his stance, saying he would “support the use of whatever proportionate and strictly necessary force” was needed to save lives. But his instinctive reluctance to back shootto-kill suggests he would not be tough enough on terrorism, critics say.

Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative candidate, said the original concerns expressed by Mr Corbyn showed he was “completely unfit and out of touch with the reality of the security situation in the UK” and he was “unfit to be prime minister”.

Philip Davies, another Tory candidate, said the London Bridge attack “goes to show the importance of the policy of shoot-to-kill and why you have got to be tough on terrorists and terrorism”.

Mr Davies added: “I’m sure he sincerely holds the views that the way to deal with terrorists is to have a friendly chat with them and not have a shoot-to-kill policy but I think he fundamentally misunderstands the threat that we face at the moment.”

Mr Corbyn was asked in November 2015, after the Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed, whether he would be happy to order police or the military to shoot-to-kill in the event of a similar attack in the UK.

The Labour leader said: “I’m not happy with the shoot-to-kill policy in general – I think that is quite dangerous and I think can often be counterproductive. I think you have to have security that prevents people firing off weapons where you can, there are various degrees of doing things as we know.

“But the idea you end up with a war on the streets is not a good thing.”

Mr Corbyn was heavily criticised for his comments and he subsequently reversed his position and said that he would authorise the use of lethal force against terrorists in a Paris-style attack.

Mr Corbyn clarified his position last night as he said during a speech in Carlisle: “Our priority must be public safety and I will take whatever action is necessary and effective to protect the security of our people and our country.

“That includes full authority for the police to use whatever force is necessary to protect and save life as they did last night, as they did in Westminster in March.”