Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper was not told about the release of controversial advert attack claiming Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.
The strategy has sparked a backlash from party figures in despair about the move into “gutter politics” after a series of Twitter ads which accuse the PM of being soft on crime.
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 being related her home affairs brief.
However, Labour sources played down the idea of a row between Sir Keir’s camp and Ms Cooper, saying all shadow cabinet members were aware attacks were coming as part of law and order week.
The Independent understands that members of Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet are uncomfortable with the tactic, with frontbenchers left in the dark about the brutal, personalised messaging.
Fingers have been pointed at the role of shadow justice secretary Steve Reed, with sources saying he was aware of the wording of the tweet on child sex abusers – related to his policy push on convictions – before it went out.
But The Independent understands Sir Keir is also comfortable with the wording of the ads, despite the furious backlash from senior figures – including former home secretary David Blunkett.
A Labour Party 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.”
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 spend his time fighting criminals and standing up for victims.”
Unrepentant, Labour is planning to accuse Mr Sunak of effectively “decriminalising” rape in another attack ad in the coming days, party sources told the Sunday Times, as a leaked memo to parliamentary candidates said the dirty tricks will continue.
One of Labour’s regional directors said in an email to parliamentary 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.”
Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper
While Lucy Powell, the shadow culture secretary, declined to say whether she stood by the original ad on child abuse, Labour’s shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry defended the Twitter attack strategy.
Ms Thornberry acknowledged criticism – including that the social media message is “racist” – but she said the critics are “wrong”.
She told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday: “I think the truth is we do need to have a debate in this country, and Rishi Sunak is the prime minister and he is responsible for a broken justice system.”
Labour’s former home secretary David Blunkett suggested the ad was an example of “gutter’ politics, saying: “My party is better than this.”
He urged Sir Keir to intervene to pull the ads, writing in the Daily Mail: “When baseless allegations and spurious slurs replace fair and robust political debate, not only is the standing of our leaders undermined, the very foundations of our democracy are compromised.”
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell urged his party to remove it, saying: “This is not the sort of politics a Labour Party, confident of its own values and preparing to govern, should be engaged in … please withdraw it.”
