Corbyn U-turns on shoot-to-kill stance amid Labour outrage

Stephen Doughty, Labour MP for Cardiff South and Penarthsaid: “I was pleased to hear Jeremy Corbyn’s condemnation of Stop the War coalition’s disgraceful messages following the horrific Paris attacks”.

Barrow MP John Woodcock said he was glad that Mr Corbyn had “retracted” his remarks questioning whether it was right for officers to shoot-to-kill in a terrorist attack.

However Mr Corbyn said that the only way to deal with the threat from IS was through a political settlement to Syria’s long-running civil war.

It wasn’t clear then, or now, who might need counselling.

The political talks and settlement will be very hard to achieve, Labour’s leader said. But I believe, as I have said many times before, we should be doing more.

Corbyn also suffered a grilling from MPs over his apparent refusal to grant them a free vote over RAF airstrikes against ISIS in Syria.

Finally, Ian Austin the Labour MP for Dudley North asked whether “those that say that Paris is reaping the whirlwind of Western policy, or who want to say that Britain’s foreign policy has increased not diminished the threats to our own nation security, are not just absolving the terrorists of responsibility, but risk fuelling the sense of grievance and resentment which can develop into extremism and terrorism”.

Mr Corbyn’s visit also coincides with a hard period in his leadership, with Labour MPs openly criticising his response to the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Chuka Umunna, the former Shadow Business Secretary, said: “All of us as potential ministers and Jeremy as a potential Prime Minister have to be clear that we will do what we need to do to protect the British public”.

Mr David noted the article had been removed but said: “Nevertheless, I think people will advise him to have no further participation in such an organisation”.

What Corbyn is in fact advocating is not opposition to war in Syria, but seeking a united position with Russia-and at least a section of the Baathist regime even if that does not include Bashar al-Assad-against ISIS. This would only be a prelude to a combined military offensive.

But in a round of broadcast interviews, Mr Corbyn told ITV News: “I would only authorise actions that are legal in the terms of worldwide law”.

“My view is we have to review our foreign policy, review the situation going on in the region and listen to words put forward by Obama and Ban Ki-moon. They made a few very wise comments over the weekend”.