Angela Rayner has said a shoot first and ‘ask questions second’ approach should be taken to dealing with terrorists.
The Ashton-Under-Lyne MP said she is ‘quite hardline’ on law and order issues, as Labour continues its push to win voters over with a tough-on-crime approach.
Ms Rayner, originally from Stockport, was speaking on a podcast when she made her comments, the Express reports.
READ MORE: Stockport man died from stab wound in neck after Brinnington 'altercation', inquest hears
The deputy Labour leader told Matt Forde’s Political Party podcast: "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?"
Her statement comes in the week when Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer launched a bid to appeal to voters with a tough-on-crime approach to policing.
And Ms Rayner backed up the man at the helm, urging police to ‘annoy the hell’ out of local criminals and thugs.
"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,” she continued.
"You should be hardline on things like that.”
She added she wanted to see homes being raided rather than officers handing out crime reference numbers.
"It’s not just ‘Oh you've been burgled here is a crime number’,” the deputy leader of the opposition went on.
"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 — three o'clock in the morning and antagonise them.
"It's the usual suspects. I want the police to annoy the hell out of them until they realise disrupting lives is not okay.
"I am quite hardline on that."
Labour last won a general election while in opposition in 1997.
In the years leading up to the victory, Tony Blair sought to reposition the party as being strong on law and order.
In an article in 1993 the pledged a Labour Government would be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime".
