Senior Labour MP latest to slam ‘brutal’ ads attacking Sunak

An ad accusing the PM of not wanting child sex abusers to be jailed has drawn widespread criticism.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to Hartlepool (Owen Humphreys/PA)
PA Wire
Sophie Wingate15 April 2023
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

A Labour former shadow minister has become the latest senior figure in the party to hit out at the “brutal” adverts attacking Rishi Sunak.

The row has rumbled on since an ad claiming the Prime Minister does not think child sex abusers should go to prison was posted online over a week ago.

Barry Gardiner, who served as shadow trade secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, said “dehumanising” Mr Sunak is a flawed strategy.

If political debate is to be more than a brutal slugging match of abuse, oversimplification and cheap slogans, then we must learn to respectfully disagree with our opponents

Labour MP Barry Gardiner

Echoing former home secretary Lord David Blunkett, who argued that Labour is better than “gutter” politics, Mr Gardiner said: “If we blur the distinction between policy and person, we descend into the gutter.”

Sir Keir Starmer has stood firmly by the ads, arguing that they are “highlighting the failures” of the Tory Government.

Other digital posters in the campaign have focused on the non-dom tax status previously held by Mr Sunak’s wife, and accused the Prime Minister of being soft on gun crime.

The Labour leader is understood not to be attending a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday, at which The Independent reported MPs angered by the ads will confront the leadership.

Writing in the online newspaper, Mr Gardiner said: “Child abuse is a sickening crime, not an instrument to be weaponised against a political opponent.

“Tactically it’s also a mistake. It potentially undermines Labour’s own credibility. If people don’t recognise the monster we paint, they will not believe our valid criticisms of (Mr Sunak’s) policies.”

The Brent North MP also warned against engaging in a “brutal slugging match of abuse, oversimplification and cheap slogans”.

Earlier on Saturday, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds backed the campaign, telling the Observer: “It’s important that Rishi Sunak is held accountable for the last 13 years of Conservative government.”

But he added: “I will always say I think civility is important in politics. My natural comfort zone would be a debate in detail on the issue or policy area. But accountability is important as well.”

In an interview with the paper, Mr Reynolds also said that people do not yet understand “the scale of Labour’s ambition on the economy” as he promised a “more active state” if the party wins the next general election.

The party has “components in place” that represent “a very different approach to the economy” than under the Conservatives and even the last Labour government, he said.

Mr Reynolds said they now needed to use the 18 months before the next poll to explain that to the public.

He said: “To deliver things like net zero, you have to have a more active state.

“As it stands, people maybe don’t appreciate that to the same degree that those of us inside the shadow cabinet do.

“But be in no doubt that we are talking about an economy that will deliver for working people to a much greater extent.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in