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Jeremy Corbyn's shoot-to-kill view rejected by Hilary Benn | Jeremy Corbyn's shoot-to-kill view rejected by Hilary Benn |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn has said it is "perfectly reasonable" for police to shoot to kill terrorists that are a threat to life - after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was "not happy" with such a policy. | Shadow foreign secretary Hilary Benn has said it is "perfectly reasonable" for police to shoot to kill terrorists that are a threat to life - after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was "not happy" with such a policy. |
Mr Benn said it was a "long-established precedent" that lethal force could be used to prevent "further loss of life". | Mr Benn said it was a "long-established precedent" that lethal force could be used to prevent "further loss of life". |
Mr Corbyn's stance was criticised by some MPs at a party meeting. | Mr Corbyn's stance was criticised by some MPs at a party meeting. |
His spokesman said only a minority of MPs had expressed themselves volubly. | His spokesman said only a minority of MPs had expressed themselves volubly. |
The spokesman added that the shadow cabinet was "united" over Labour's policy of refusing to back UK military action in Syria. | The spokesman added that the shadow cabinet was "united" over Labour's policy of refusing to back UK military action in Syria. |
The row comes after Mr Corbyn told the BBC on Monday that a "war on the streets" must be avoided and also that UK air strikes in Syria could make the situation there "far worse". | The row comes after Mr Corbyn told the BBC on Monday that a "war on the streets" must be avoided and also that UK air strikes in Syria could make the situation there "far worse". |
He also declined to say if he would ever back military intervention against extremists. | He also declined to say if he would ever back military intervention against extremists. |
He added: "I'm not happy with the shoot-to-kill policy in general. I think that is quite dangerous and I think can often be counter-productive. I think you have to have security that prevents people firing off weapons where you can." | He added: "I'm not happy with the shoot-to-kill policy in general. I think that is quite dangerous and I think can often be counter-productive. I think you have to have security that prevents people firing off weapons where you can." |
The Labour leader was speaking after 129 people were killed in a series of terror attacks in Paris on Friday. | The Labour leader was speaking after 129 people were killed in a series of terror attacks in Paris on Friday. |
BBC political correspondent Eleanor Garnier said one Labour MP "savaged" Mr Corbyn during the meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday night, while others said he was "aggressively heckled". | BBC political correspondent Eleanor Garnier said one Labour MP "savaged" Mr Corbyn during the meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday night, while others said he was "aggressively heckled". |
Analysis by Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent | |
The UK's police forces do not have a blanket "shoot-to-kill" policy - but at the same time, police can be legally justified in shooting even if the attacker ends up dead. | |
It all comes down to the law on self-defence. The only person who is legally responsible for pulling the trigger is the police officer holding the gun. | |
That officer must be able to justify under the law that their action amounted to reasonable force to protect themselves or others. | |
That means no chief constable, let alone a minister, would be ever able to tell an armed officer how to respond to the specific scene before them. | |
So if the officer could show the only way to stop a bomber was to shoot them in the head, then he or she would be legally entitled to do so. | |
Labour MP John Mann asked Mr Corbyn if he was saying "terrorists with Kalashnikovs should not be shot by security forces in such situations". | Labour MP John Mann asked Mr Corbyn if he was saying "terrorists with Kalashnikovs should not be shot by security forces in such situations". |
Labour Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs committee, said shoot-to-kill was "the right thing to do in those circumstances", adding that "we have given that power to those responsible to make that decision". | Labour Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs committee, said shoot-to-kill was "the right thing to do in those circumstances", adding that "we have given that power to those responsible to make that decision". |
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Benn said Labour's policy "remains the same". | Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Benn said Labour's policy "remains the same". |
Officers faced "split second decisions" in such circumstances, he said, adding: "I can't speak for Jeremy in relation to the particular circumstances he may have been thinking about." | Officers faced "split second decisions" in such circumstances, he said, adding: "I can't speak for Jeremy in relation to the particular circumstances he may have been thinking about." |
Mr Benn also criticised the Stop the War Coalition - until recently chaired by Mr Corbyn - for an article, since deleted, headlined "Paris reaps whirlwind of western support for extremist violence in Middle East". | Mr Benn also criticised the Stop the War Coalition - until recently chaired by Mr Corbyn - for an article, since deleted, headlined "Paris reaps whirlwind of western support for extremist violence in Middle East". |
He said the language used was "shocking" and "wholly wrong" adding that whether or not the Labour leader should attend a Stop the War meeting in December was a "decision for Jeremy". | He said the language used was "shocking" and "wholly wrong" adding that whether or not the Labour leader should attend a Stop the War meeting in December was a "decision for Jeremy". |
And he said there had been "no realistic prospect" of apprehending the Islamic State militant known as "Jihadi John", who was apparently killed by a US drone strike. | And he said there had been "no realistic prospect" of apprehending the Islamic State militant known as "Jihadi John", who was apparently killed by a US drone strike. |
Mr Corbyn has said it would have been "far better" if he had been "held to account in a court of law" and questioned the legality of the action. | Mr Corbyn has said it would have been "far better" if he had been "held to account in a court of law" and questioned the legality of the action. |