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Politics
Kate Plummer
Feb 17, 2022
Angela Rayner defends calling Tory MPs 'scum'
Independent
Angela Rayner has triggered outrage with her views on law and order, after she signalled support for a "shoot terrorists and ask questions second" approach to policing.
Speaking to Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast, Labour's deputy leader sparked controversy when she revealed her "hardline" views on the issue. She said: “On things like law and order I am quite hardline. I am like - shoot your terrorists and ask questions second."
“Sorry - is that the most controversial thing I've ever said?" she added.
Speaking about the subject further, she distanced herself from former leader of the party, one Jeremy Corbyn. She said: "On law and order, I think if you are being terrorised by the local thug I want a copper to come and sort them out.
“You should be hardline on things like that.
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“It’s not just ‘Oh you've been burgled here is a crime number’.
“I want you to beat down the door of the criminals and sort them out and antagonise them. That's what I say to my local police - 3 o'clock in the morning and antagonise them.
Rayner said she was “plagued by anti-social behaviour” when she was growing up. “It’s the usual suspects … I want the police to annoy the hell out of them until they realise disrupting lives is not OK. I am quite hardline on that.”
The story was first reported in The Sun as an 'exclusive' but given the information came from a freely available podcast, that is stretching its definition slightly. Anyway, when it was, Rayner received widespread criticism on social media:
Shoot terrorists first, ask questions later, says Angela Rayner. Wonder what the family of Jean Charles de Menezes think about that?— David__Osland (@David__Osland) 1645094921
| Angela Rayner says the police should "shoot terrorists first and ask questions later"\n\nIt doesn't take a genius to work out this means innocent people are going to be murdered by the state.— Northern Independence Party \ud83d\udfe8\ud83d\udfe5 (@Northern Independence Party \ud83d\udfe8\ud83d\udfe5) 1645092457
Just when I thought Angela Rayner couldn\u2019t slip any further down in my estimation she goes and proves me wrong.pic.twitter.com/8eaasEL1aU— Brian Tweedale (@Brian Tweedale) 1645093051
This approach has been tried and tested. It led to Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent man, being repeatedly shot in the head. \n\nThis macho posturing by politicians is childish and helps create an atmosphere which costs innocent lives.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/angela-rayner-shoot-to-kill-terrorists-b2017139.html\u00a0\u2026— Owen Jones \ud83c\udf39 (@Owen Jones \ud83c\udf39) 1645101019
Sorry, was I hallucinating or did the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, 'Nothern girl boss' Angela Rayner just endorse summary executions?— Joseph Attard (@Joseph Attard) 1645096518
Why is Angela Rayner so???— CEO of Yelling (@CEO of Yelling) 1645093580
\u201cOn law & order I am quite hardline. I am like - shoot your terrorists & ask questions second. Sorry - is that the most controversial thing I've ever said?\u201d \n\n@AngelaRayner It\u2019s perhaps the most irresponsible & careless thing you\u2019ve said. Disgraceful.https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/politics/17673690/labour-angela-rayner-shoot-terrorists/amp/\u00a0\u2026— Katy Sian (@Katy Sian) 1645096156
Is Angela suggesting a mandatory death sentence for suspected (but not convicted) \u201cterrorists\u201d ?https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/angela-rayner-shoot-to-kill-terrorists-b2017139.html\u00a0\u2026— Diane Abbott MP (@Diane Abbott MP) 1645098325
I\u2019d like to ask @DavidLammy - my local MP, and a qualified lawyer before he became a politician - whether he agrees with Angela Rayner that police should shoot suspects first, and save questions about the lawfulness of lethal force for later?— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1645093688
It is not the first time Rayner's choice of words has landed her in trouble. In October last year she issued an apology after she called Conservatives ministers"scum" at the Labour Party conference and described the prime minister as a "racist, homophobic misogynist".
In a Facebook post mea-culpaing, she said: "I will continue to speak my mind, stand up for Labour values and hold the government to account, but in the future I will be more careful about how I do that and in the language that I choose."
That lasted...
indy100 has contacted Rayner to comment on this story.
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