Former advisor to Jeremy Corbyn Andrew Fisher has savaged Angela Rayner’s “shoot terrorists first and ask questions later” comment on LBC. Mr Fisher said the Deputy Labour leader’s attempt to appear tough on law and order came across as “moronic.”
Mr Fisher told LBC: “Well, I think it’s, as I think your correspondent said, it’s an attempt to sort of sound tough.
“But I think it actually sounds moronic when you’ve got David Davis coming out, you know, he’s a Conservative, former cabinet minister, former leadership contender saying we want the security services to make the right decision not to shoot first ask questions later decision, and this is heavy-handed in this sort of approach because John Charles de Menezes lost his life, then I think you have to wonder what Labour’s really playing.
“It’s just, it’s attempting to sound tough, but actually it just sounds silly.
“The police have got the authority to shoot terrorists when it’s a life and death situation, and they have done that in the case of Usman Khan on London bridge and in the case of the parliament attacker, in 2017 that Steve Reid referred to earlier in your piece.”
Ms Rayber made the remarks last month on The Political Party podcast with comedian Matt Forde.
“Most people recognise ‘soft left’ so I would describe myself as soft left,” said the Deputy Labour leader.
“But you know what, on certain things I’m not though. Because on things like law and order I am, like, quite hardline.
“I am like, you know, shoot your terrorists and ask questions second, if I’m honest.’
The off-the-cuff comment sparked anger from Ms Rayner’s critics.
Working-class academic Dr Lisa McKenzie told GB News: “I think this is sort of a political move.
“It’s about a Labour Party that doesn’t quite know what to do about the red wall seats.
“So I think this is quite disingenuous.
“I mean, do they think, does Angela Rayner think that everybody in the red wall seats believes this or wants this?
“Because, you know, I’m from the East Midlands, I’m from that red wall, I really wouldn’t agree with police walking around with a shoot kill attitude at all.”
Ms McKenzie added: “I think I just think it’s disingenuous, it doesn’t come across as Angela Rayner being tough on crime.
“It comes across as sort of we’re a bit desperate and we don’t know what to do about the Red Wall.
