Corbyn: I won't be soft on terror if I become Prime Minister
Jeremy Corbyn is challenged on his leadership, nuclear weapons, the IRA, immigration and Brexit by a live TV studio audience.
Tuesday 30 May 2017 13:35, UK
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he would not "soften" Britain's foreign policy if he becomes Prime Minister.
Answering questions from an audience of voters on the Sky News/Channel 4 programme The Battle For Number 10, the Labour leader dismissed claims from his opponents that he would be soft on terror.
Mr Corbyn's attempt, in the wake of the Manchester terror attack, to draw a link between British involvement in military interventions abroad and terrorism at home led to allegations he was making excuses for extremists.
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He condemned the bomber for his "appalling, abominable and atrocious act".
Mr Corbyn and Prime Minister Theresa May were questioned separately by the studio audience and interviewed by Jeremy Paxman after the PM refused to go head-to-head with other party leaders in a debate.
As well as questions about security in the wake of Manchester, he was also scrutinised on past comments about the IRA and the Falklands War.
Challenged over whether he would "soften" the UK's foreign policy, Mr Corbyn said: "It's not about softening our foreign policy. It's about absolutely condemning what happened in Manchester."
He added: "We have to have a foreign policy around the world that doesn't leave large areas without any effective government - such as in Libya at the present time - which can become a breeding ground for enormous danger for all of us.
"My point was absolute condemnation. My point was that we need more police not less - that's why we've pledged to provide 10,000 more police on our streets - and we need a foreign policy that doesn't leave large areas of the world ungoverned so that we have a more secure future for all of us."
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In recent weeks, the Labour leader has faced questions about his support for a united Ireland and links to Sinn Fein.
One audience member claimed Mr Corbyn had "openly supported the IRA in the past" by attending a commemoration for eight IRA members killed by the SAS.
Mr Corbyn said there was a period of silence for "everyone who died in Northern Ireland" at the 1987 event.
When pressed further, Mr Corbyn said: "The contribution I made to that meeting was to call for a peace and dialogue process in Northern Ireland.
"It's only by dialogue and process we brought about peace in Northern Ireland and I think that's a good thing."
The subject of Britain's nuclear deterrent was also raised, with Mr Corbyn quizzed on whether he would be prepared to use Trident.
Pressed if he would write the letters of last resort to the submarine commanders, Mr Corbyn said: "I will write the appropriate letter to our commanders who are obviously very responsible, very loyal naval officers."
Recent polling has shown many of Labour's policies contained in its manifesto are popular with voters, unlike Mr Corbyn.
Challenged by one man who said he liked the Labour manifesto but did not see Mr Corbyn as "someone who could run this country", the Labour leader said he saw himself as a listening politician.
"You should never be so high and mighty you can't listen to somebody else and learn something from them."
On immigration, Mr Corbyn refused to be drawn on what level it would be post-Brexit, only saying it would "probably" be no higher than at present.
Once the studio audience finished it was the turn of veteran broadcaster Paxman, who opted to begin his interrogation on nuclear weapons.
Paxman repeatedly challenged him to state whether he felt that nuclear weapons were "morally right".
Mr Corbyn replied: "That's the decision (renewing Trident) that has been taken.
"We will work for a nuclear-free world, we will work through the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to achieve that. That surely is something well worth doing."
And when challenged over why some of his "core beliefs" - such as nationalising banks - did not feature in the Labour manifesto, he said: "I'm not a dictator who writes things to tell people what to do."
A previous comment by Mr Corbyn about the Falklands conflict was also raised - that "young unemployed men" were being sent to die in pursuit of a "Tory plot".
The Labour leader said he did not believe it had been a "plot" but that then prime minister Margaret Thatcher had been exploiting the situation.
He refused to be drawn on whether he would order a drone strike against a terrorist plotting overseas to attack the UK, saying he could not answer a "hypothetical question without the evidence".
Mr Corbyn defended his comment that the killing of Osama bin Laden had been a "tragedy", telling Paxman the al Qaeda leader should have been arrested and put on trial.
There were laughs from the audience when Mr Corbyn was asked why there was nothing in the Labour manifesto about abolishing the monarchy.
"Look, there's nothing in there as we're not going to do it," said Mr Corbyn, who is known for his republican beliefs.
:: Watch the highlights of May v Corbyn: The Battle For Number 10 on Sky News at 4.30pm. Read Sky senior political correspondent Beth Rigby's verdict .