Corbyn condemned for delay before calling attack ‘terror’
JEREMY CORBYN was forced to clarify that he believed the Manchester attack was an act of terrorism after twice failing to use the word.
The Labour leader initially called the incident, in which 22 people died and 59 were injured, an “appalling act of violence” and a “terrible incident”.
That prompted Sir Gerald Howarth, the former Conservative defence minister, to say Mr Corbyn was “not fit to be prime minister”. Both John Mcdonnell, the shadow chancellor, and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott had used the word terror earlier. Mr Corbyn was previously criticised for refusing to refer to the Westminster attack as an act of terrorism.
Speaking in Downing Street yesterday, Theresa May called the attack a terrorist incident nine times as she vowed that “terrorists will never win”.
Mr Corbyn initially failed to refer to the incident or the perpetrator as a terrorist in his statement and in an interview with journalists.
However, he later said: “We cannot ever allow ourselves to be divided by these vile, appalling acts of individual terror that have caused mayhem and such misery and such loss of life.” In a recorded message published last night, he added: “We are determined that terrorism will not divide our communities, as its perpetrators clearly intend. And we are determined that the poison of terror will not be allowed to pollute our democratic politics.”
He had previously said: “This is an appalling act of violence against people and it must be totally and unreservedly and completely condemned. It’s absolutely shocking news, it’s the most appalling act of violence that’s taken the lives of young people who were at a music event to enjoy themselves.”
A spokesman for Mr Corbyn told The Daily Telegraph: “Of course he considers it terrorism and has condemned it in the strongest possible terms.”
Sir Gerald said: “He has been an apologist for known terrorists and is not fit to be prime minister if he cannot be unequivocal about this latest attack.
“The man seems incapable of recognising that we face a very real threat from Islamic fundamentalists and that their acts are acts of terror.”
Debbie Hicks, a Labour Party vicechairman in Stroud, Gloucs, was forced to apologise after writing on Facebook: “I can’t help thinking this is wonderful timing for Theresa May.”