Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry has defended a party attack advert claiming Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.
The shadow attorney general acknowledged there has been a lot of criticism, including that the social media message is “racist”, but she said the critics are “wrong”.
Figures on Labour’s left have joined Conservatives in expressing unease over the campaign ad while shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell declined to endorse it.
The Independent also understands that other members of Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet are uncomfortable with the tactic.
The row centres on a tweet in which Labour is pitching itself as “the party of law and order”.
Alongside a photo of the prime minister, an image reads: “Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.”
It highlighted Labour analysis of Ministry of Justice data, saying: “Under the Tories, 4,500 adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under-16 served no prison time. Labour will lock up dangerous child abusers.”
Ms Thornberry told BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions: “I heard a lot of people criticising it, and a lot of people who I like and respect criticising it and saying they felt very uncomfortable about it. Some people said that they thought it was racist.
“I have to say, I think they’re wrong. I just disagree with that. 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.”
Asked if she genuinely thinks Mr Sunak held these views, Ms Thornberry responded: “If he believes that everyone responsible for child abuse should get a custodial sentence, why are so many not getting a custodial sentence?
“He is the prime minister and that is a legitimate question for the opposition to ask.”
Tory MP Laura Trott hit out at the “desperate stunt” as she questioned Sir Keir’s “integrity”, calling him a “political opportunist who’s just not fit to lead the country”.
Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson said she was “pretty disgusted” by the campaign, saying: “This is not an attack ad my party would use.”
Labour has declined to delete the ad and has instead continued with its approach, posting a similar message accusing Mr Sunak of not wanting to jail “dangerous gunmen”.
Judges and magistrates, rather than the prime minister of the day, are responsible for handing out sentences.
The figures Labour highlighted cover the period since 2010, five years before Mr Sunak entered parliament. He did not become prime minister until October last year.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has urged his party to climb down, saying: “This is not the sort of politics a Labour Party, confident of its own values and preparing to govern, should be engaged in.
“I say to the people who have taken the decision to publish this ad, please withdraw it. We, the Labour Party, are better than this.”
Denis MacShane, who served as a minister in Tony Blair’s government, criticised the ad, saying Labour “should not get into [the] gutter”.
Conservative MP and science minister George Freeman described the initial advert as a “new low in British politics” and denounced it as “appalling”.
And 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 that if such attacks became commonplace they could “put people off entering politics”.
Former justice minister Rory Stewart denounced the advert as “bile” and “nasty politics”, while Tory party deputy chair Lee Anderson accused Labour of resorting to a “vile and desperate” campaign strategy.
SNP MP John Nicolson said the advert “cheapened and debased” politics.
Criticism also came from beyond the world of politics, with The Rotters’ Club author Jonathan Coe tweeting: “Please don’t go down this road, Labour.”
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.
A Labour source said “we stand by the graphic”.
Since the attack ad was released it has emerged that Sir Keir sat on the Sentencing Council in 2012 when it was agreed that child sex abusers should not get an automatic prison sentence, although a maximum of 14 years behind bars was set.
A Labour spokesperson said: “The government sets the statutory framework for sentencing. In March, Dominic Raab amended the rules to decrease maximum sentences in magistrates’ courts.
“But the current situation isn’t the Conservative’s fault and they can’t possibly do anything about it?
The spokesperson added: “The Tories have been in charge for 13 years, and their record is appalling. They broke the criminal justice system, left our prisons overcrowded, and our courts with the largest backlog on record.
“The result is a direction to judges to be lenient with custodial sentences. Every denial they issue on this is an insult to victims and their families.”
Additional reporting by Press Association
