Just hours after being accused of ‘gutter politics’ for targeting the prime minister personally, the Labour Party has released a second advertisement attacking Rishi Sunak.
The party has been criticized for releasing an advertisement claiming that Mr. Sunak does not believe child sex offenders should go to prison, which critics have labeled a “dog whistle.”
The advertisement read, “Do you believe that adults convicted of sexually assaulting minors should be incarcerated? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.
Since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, 4,500 adults convicted of sex acts on minors have avoided jail time, according to Ministry of Justice data.
In a second tweet sent Friday afternoon, Labour implied the prime minister was soft on gun crime and posed the following question to its followers: “Do you believe an adult convicted of possessing a firearm with the intent to cause injury should be sent to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.”
Again, the advertisement cited Ministry of Justice data indicating that 937 adults convicted of possession of a firearm with the intent to cause injury did not serve any prison time.
Conservative peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi was among several prominent politicians who condemned Labour’s initial tweet and criticized her own party for sparking an “appalling fight into the gutter”
Labor’s MPs, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, criticized the tweet, stating, “This is not the kind of politics a Labour Party that is confident in its values and preparing to govern should be engaged in.
“I ask the individuals who decided to publish this advertisement to please retract it. The Labour Party is superior to this.”
Many drew parallels between the language used in the initial tweet and Boris Johnson’s false allegation last year that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.
However, Labour’s Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell defended the attack this morning, stating that while the tweet may not have been to “everyone’s taste,” it was part of “political campaigning” and served to highlight an issue where the party believed the government had failed.
When asked if she was “comfortable with pointing the finger at Rishi Sunak,” Ms. Powell told, “I’m comfortable with using a graphic that the prime minister has used repeatedly in recent months and years to demonstrate that one of his policies isn’t working.”
“It’s political campaigning,” she added. I’m pleased to be on your program this morning to defend what we’re discussing, which are some very significant problems with the criminal justice system and how this country is not addressing them.”
