Jeremy Corbyn says that if he was Prime Minister, he would authorise the police to use ‘whatever force is necessary’ against terrorists. Is that true? Is he really ready to go back on decades of suspicion of the police, of hostility to the security forces of an imperialist British state? How can this be reconciled with the man who was so obviously unwilling to back the use of lethal force in that interview with Laura Kuenssberg that’s doing the rounds again. Jeremy Corbyn opposes ‘shoot to kill’ policy. Does he mean it? I have no idea.
But the comment confirms that Mr Corbyn’s newfound political ruthlessness is the story of this election. These last few weeks he’s acting like a man who actually wants to win, and will say (or at least try to say) the things he has to say to get some votes.
I don’t say that as a bad thing, necessarily.
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