Boris Johnson has finally rowed back on his debunked claim that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he led the Crown Prosecution Service.
The Prime Minister sparked a furious backlash when he tried to associate Mr Starmer with the notorious paedophile as he flailed to defend himself over the Downing Street partygate saga.
Mr Starmer was head of the Crown Prosecution Service when it decided not to prosecute Savile in 2009 due to insufficient evidence - a decision it later apologised for.
But independent fact-checkers Full Fact found it had never been suggested that Mr Starmer was personally involved in the decision.
At the time the CPS said: "The reviewing lawyer at the time set out their own reasons for the decisions they took."
Mr Johnson doubled down on the remarks at PMQs on Wednesday - which were made under the cover of parliamentary privilege.
But on a visit to Blackpool today, the Prime Minister finally admitted that Mr Starmer "had nothing to do personally with those decisions".
"I want to be very clear about this because a lot of people have got very hot under the collar," Mr Johnson told reporters.
"I'm talking not about the leader of the opposition's personal record when he was when he was DPP and I totally understand that he had nothing to do personally with those decisions."
No 10 were standing by the remarks on Wednesday, despite mounting anger from Tory MPs.
Asked if the PM believed Keir Starmer had acted improperly over Jimmy Savile, the PM's press secretary said: "He was simply pointing out Keir Starmer's record as leader.
"You've got what the PM said today which is that in 2013 Starmer apologised and took full responsibility for what happened on his watch and that was the right thing to do."
Asked if the PM got his information from conspiracy theorists, the press secretary said: "No... it is all entirely a matter of public record."
Mr Starmer said this week that it was an "untrue" slur, adding: “It’s desperate from the Prime Minister."
He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: “I was really struck yesterday in the House at how many Conservative MPs were disgusted at that untruth from the despatch box.
“Of course on our side, people were disgusted. But his own MPs couldn’t believe their Prime Minister had stooped that low.
“He’s degraded the whole office. And this is how he operates. He drags everybody into the gutter with him.
“Everybody he touches, everybody that comes into contact with him is contaminated by this Prime Minister.”
Several senior Tories refused to back the PM over the comments.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab admitted “I can’t substantiate that" when asked about the claim - but tried to claim it was part of "the cut and thrust of parliamentary debates and exchanges".
Former Cabinet Minister Julian Smith spoke out against Mr Johnson, saying: “The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong & cannot be defended.
“It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust & can't just be accepted as part of the cut & thrust of parliamentary debate.”
