Election 2017: Boris Johnson criticises Jeremy Corbyn for voting against anti-terror laws that he also opposed
The now-Foreign Secretary helped block Labour plans to detain terrorism suspects for 90 days as an MP for Henley
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has attacked Jeremy Corbyn for voting against anti-terror laws – despite the fact that the now-Foreign Secretary opposed some of the exact same legislation.
Mr Johnson was caught out during a BBC interview when it was pointed out to him that he voted the same way as the now Labour leader on a number of issues.
Mr Corbyn and Mr Johnson joined forces in 2005 to help vote down Labour’s plans to extend detention for terror suspects to 90 days - Tony Blair’s first House of Commons defeat as Prime Minister. 49 Labour MPs and most Conservatives opposed the plans.
Mr Johnson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that it was “extraordinary” and “a bit rich” for Mr Corbyn to criticise the security failures of current government ministers.
He said: “It is weird that we should now be facing attacks on terrorism and keeping the public safe, not only from a Labour Party that, by the way, wanted to cut police numbers in 2015 but also from Jeremy Corbyn – a guy who has consecrated his parliamentary career to opposing counter-terrorism measures and boasts about his standing against any measures against terrorism.”
But presenter Mishal Husain interjected to point out that Theresa May had opposed some of the same laws that Mr Corbyn had.
She then asked the Foreign Secretary how he had voted on the issue of 90-day detention.
He replied: "Well, er, there are, there are, of course there are measures I have, er, not supported myself.
"The vast majority of measures that have come before the House of Commons I have supported.
"Of course you can improve measures and you can make sure they are in line with our laws, but Jeremy Corbyn has opposed every single one."
Mr Johnson also claimed that the Labour leader is “personally opposed” to the use of shoot-to-kill tactics by police.
That led Ms Mishal to point out that Mr Corbyn was on the record as saying he “will take whatever action is necessary and effective to protect the security of our people” including giving “full authority for the police to use whatever force is necessary to protect and save lives”.
Mr Johnson interrupted the host so much at one point during the interview that she was forced to ask him to “please stop talking”.
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