Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing a furious backlash from his own MPs about the “ugly and degrading” attack ads that claim Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.
Labour MPs told The Independent they had personally complained to their leader about the Twitter ads – warning him that it will damage the party’s standing in “blue wall” seats in the south of England.
It comes as shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper distanced herself from the Twitter graphic on child sex abusers – with her team making clear she was not consulted about the ad devised by Labour strategists.
Starmer’s team remains unrepentant, however – and is preparing to go further by accusing Mr Sunak of effectively “decriminalising” rape in a new online ad in the coming days.
The deepening row comes as:
- Fingers were pointed at shadow justice secretary Steve Reed over the now-notorious ad about child sex abusers.
- Ex-Labour home secretary Jack Straw defended Sir Keir – saying the Tories “squeal like stuck pigs” when on the receiving end of attacks.
- A senior Tory polling guru warned Sunak not to “retaliate” and jeopardise his reputation as a “nice guy”.
Labour’s Lloyd Russell-Moyle, MP for Brighton, Kempton, criticised the attack ads and warned they could backfire and “harm” the party in some parts of the country.
He said: “I’ve expressed my disquiet about it the very highest level of the party, and my concern that it might have a negative electoral impact in Brighton.”
One senior Labour backbencher, who did not wish to be named, said several MPs had complained to Sir Keir about the ad which accused Mr Sunak of believing child sex abusers should not go to prison.
They said it had caused deep frustration across the party – with many sounding off about the “gutter politics” strategy on WhatsApp groups. The Independent understands that members of shadow cabinet are also uncomfortable with the new tactics, having been left in the dark about the messaging.
Sir Keir Starmer is understood to be comfortable with attack ads
Andrew Fisher, former policy adviser under Jeremy Corbyn, said the ads were “ugly” – arguing that they showed a certain “desperation” inside Starmer’s camp over Mr Sunak’s improving poll numbers.
The former Labour policy chief added: “It indicates a sense of desperation when they try to attack Sunak personally like this. I think it’s backfired massively. It makes Labour look grubby and even dishonest. It degrades politics.”
Lord Hayward, the Tory polling guru, also said it appeared that Labour had lashed out in fear over improving poll numbers for Sunak and the Tory party.
“They [Labour] are getting nervous and uneasy, and when people are uneasy they make missteps,” said the Tory peer. “This is a misstep. British people don’t like unpleasant, personalised attacks.”
Lord Hayward added: “Some in the Tory party will want to retaliate, but the party would be very ill-advised if they did so. Getting down and dirty would damage Sunak’s reputation as a nice, competent guy.”
The Independent understands that Ms Cooper was not told or consulted about the wording of the ad devised by the Labour’s strategy team, despite it being related to her home affairs brief.
Fingers have been pointed at Mr Reed, with sources saying he was aware of the wording of the tweet on child sex abusers – related to his push on the Tories’ record on convictions – before it went out. MPs said they had raised their concerns with the shadow justice secretary.
But Sir Keir is also said to be comfortable with the wording of the ads, despite the furious backlash from senior figures – including former home secretary David Blunkett’s attack on “gutter” politics.
A Labour spokesperson said: “Keir didn’t spend his time signing off individual campaign graphics, but he absolutely agreed that we should be on the front foot on crime, show that Labour is the party of law and order given the Tories’ appalling record on serious crime.”
Yvette Cooper (right) distanced herself from the Labour attack ad
They added: “This is Keir’s life’s work. And whatever attacks the Tories try back, we’re not going to shy away from showing how Keir has spent his time fighting criminals and standing up for victims.”
One of the next attack ads will claim the PM has effectively “decriminalised” rape, party sources confirmed. A memo to parliamentary candidates, leaked to the Sunday Times, explained why the campaign will continue in this manner.
A Labour regional director said in an email to candidates: “This is about winning elections, winning elections so we can help people not just talk about it. Winning elections so we can lock up paedophiles and rapists, not look on in disgust.”
A group of former Tory officials have turned against their party and have been in contact with Labour to help shape the election strategy, according to the newspaper. But Labour said they did not recognise the claim.
Former Labour home secretary Jack Straw defended the tactics
Mr Blunkett told the Daily Mail that Labour was better than “baseless allegations and spurious slurs”. But Mr Straw, former Labour home secretary under Tony Blair, defended Team Starmer’s tactics on Sunday.
The New Labour “big beast” told The Independent: “The Tories are always ready to dish it out, but they squeal like stuck pigs when they are on the receiving end.”
Mr Straw added: “The Conservatives’ 13-year record on crime is terrible. They have brought the criminal justice system near the point of collapse – as any practitioner will confirm. In the remaining period they have left in office they should stop complaining about Labour telling the truth about them, and instead try to repair some of the damage they have caused.”
Labour former frontbencher Diane Abbott branded Friday’s initial attack ad “horrible”, while fellow left-winger John McDonnell urged Sir Keir to pull it.
Mr Corbyn also condemned “dog whistle politics”, tweeting: “Instead of sinking into the gutter, we should offer hope in a better world.”
