DEFENCE Secretary Michael Fallon was challenged over his attacks on Jeremy Corbyn’s attitude towards terrorism in a TV exchange that left his interviewer banging his head on the table yesterday.
Fallon clashed with ITV’s Robert Peston when he insisted Corbyn had attempted to draw links between British foreign policy and terror attacks in a speech last week.
But Peston confronted him over the suggestion that the Labour leader had said terror attacks were “our fault”.
The row came days after Mr Fallon mistakenly condemned quotes about terror he thought were from Corbyn in a Channel 4 News interview – before being told they were made by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Last week Corbyn said “professionals in our intelligence and security services” had pointed to the connection between the UK’s involvement in foreign wars and terrorism at home.
On ITV’s Peston yesterday, Fallon claimed Mr Corbyn was “soft on terrorism” but Peston hit back with: “He said no such thing.”
Fallon replied: “He did. I’ve got his words here. He said foreign policy has been increasing the threat to this country. He said that in his speech on Friday and this is nonsense.”
Peston responded: “This is not the same thing as saying the terrorist attacks are our fault.
“Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, made exactly the same point a few years ago.”
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