Angela Rayner’s outspoken views on crime (Angela Rayner: police should ‘shoot terrorists and ask questions second’, 17 February) emerge as Sadiq Khan attempts to sort out decades of inaction in relation to the conduct of the Metropolitan police. She advances a policy of police shooting first and using violence against “criminals” by beating down their doors “until they realise disrupting lives is not OK”. Police like that used to be called stormtroopers.
Does Rayner really think that the structural racism and sexism identified in police forces are going to be tackled when a brief like this has been flagged up by Labour’s deputy leader? What fun the Tory party will have with Labour’s law and order policies.
If Keir Starmer doesn’t clarify the party’s position, then it won’t be drifting to the centre ground, it’ll be wallowing on the far right, and many of us voters will be considering our position.
Peter Martindale
Grantham, Lincolnshire
• Angela Rayner would do well to remember Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent man who was shot dead by the Met police on his way to work. These stupid soundbites lose the votes of reasonable people and gain the support of Trump-like reactionaries.
Mike Harris
Dromahair, County Leitrim
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