Labour frontbencher refuses to endorse Sunak attack ad as outrage over ‘gutter politics’ grows

A Labour frontbencher has refused to endorse a controversial attack ad which claimed Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell declined to say she stood by the social media post, which has triggered condemnation from politicians across the political spectrum.

The advert shows a photo of Mr Sunak alongside the words: "Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn't."

In the same post, Labour describes itself as “the party of law and order”, an issue seen as a key battleground in May’s local elections.

Denis MacShane, a minister in Tony Blair’s government, criticised the post saying Labour “should not get into (the) gutter”.

Ex- shadow chancellor John McDonnell urged his party to remove the advert, 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. We, the Labour Party, are better than this."

But a Labour source said: “We stand by the graphic”.

Conservative MP and science minister George Freeman described the ad as a “new low in British politics” and said it was “appalling”. The chair of the Commons defence select committee, Tory MP Tobias Ellwood said: “I’ve called it out on my own side for stooping low and do so again now.”

He warned if similar attacks became common they risked putting “people off entering politics”.

Ex-justice minister Rory Stewart denounced it as “bile” and “nasty politics”.

Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson accused Labour of a “vile and desperate” campaign strategy, while Conservative MP Robert Largan said: “I’m not going to quote tweet it. But that Labour Party post about the Prime Minister is in the gutter. Really shameful stuff.”

SNP MP John Nicolson said the ad “cheapened and debased” politics.

The criticism also went further than the world of politics with the Rotters’ Club author Jonathan Coe tweeting: “Please don’t go down this road, Labour”. Judges and magistrates are responsible for sentences given to individual criminals.

Actor Samuel West, recently seen in ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, described it as “lower than low” and said he was “embarrassed” to be a Labour member.

The Twitter post, which highlights Labour analysis of Ministry of Justice data, said: “Under the Tories, 4,500 adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under-16 served no prison time. Labour will lock up dangerous child abusers.” That figure also covers the period since 2010, five years before Mr Sunak became an MP.

As the backlash grew it also emerged that Sir Keir was a member of the Sentencing Council, which helps promote consistent sentences while maintaining an independent judiciary, in 2012 when it discussed guidlines on sentencing ranges for sexual assault against those under and over 13.

Former Tory cabinet minister Sayeeda Warsi criticised both the graphic and recent comments by the home secretary Suella Braverman, saying: “Dog whistle met by dog whistle. Disgraceful comments by Braverman over the weekend has triggered an appalling fight into the gutter.”

Ms Powell declined to say she stood by a tweet promoting the ad in an appearance on BBC Breakfast.

"What I stand by is what that graphic is trying to show, which is that the prime minister of our country is responsible for the criminal justice system of our country and currently that criminal justice system is not working," she said.

Asked again whether she stood by the message, she said: "I stand by what this tweet and this campaign is trying to highlight."

She added: "The graphic itself, obviously, is a skit based on (Mr Sunak’s) own graphics that he extensively uses."

In response to Mr McDonnell's criticism, she added: "I can see that it's not to everybody's taste, absolutely, and that some people won't like it.

"Clearly, John McDonnell is one of those. But that is the cut-and-thrust nature of politics. I didn't design the graphic, it's not my graphic."

Ms Powell told Sky News: "We do have serious criminals now in this country almost routinely getting more lenient custodial sentences than they would otherwise do because the system is creaking at the knees."

She said it was not down to sentencing guidelines but was due to "capacity in the system to actually implement those guidelines" with a "huge backlog" in court cases and pressure on prison places.

She later said she did not think the advert should be withdrawn.

“I don’t think it should be deleted .. .this graphic that came online last night is, as I say, it’s a skit, it’s a take on other graphics that the prime minister himself has produced in the past,” she told Times Radio. “And at the end of the day, he is the prime minister of this Conservative government, he is responsible for the criminal justice system of this country, and the fact that at the moment, it is on its knees and unable to process and deal with the serious criminal offences. And he should be, along with his ministers, accountable for that. And we think they should be made accountable for that.”

A Tory source pointed to Sir Keir’s time as director of public prosecutions, saying: "Labour HQ have highlighted Sir Keir's appalling record at keeping children safe.”