Keir Starmer has defended Labour's controversial attack ad accusing Rishi Sunak of not wanting to see child abusers jailed, rejecting claims it plays on racist stereotypes. The Labour leader said the ad was accurate, citing the Conservative government's 'unforgivable' record on criminal justice.
Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Starmer argued that Sunak bore responsibility for the state of the justice system, despite being the fifth prime minister in 13 years. 'They have broken our criminal justice system. It is unforgivable what they have done,' he said.
When asked if the ad tapped into racist tropes about Asian grooming gangs, given Sunak is the first British Asian prime minister, Starmer replied: 'No. The vast majority of child sexual offences are not by people of Asian origin.' He urged Sunak to emulate his own approach as head of the Crown Prosecution Service, taking credit for successes and responsibility for failures.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper criticised the ad, calling personal attacks 'not very helpful' and urging a different tone in politics. Sunak has previously labelled Starmer 'Sir Softy' in an attempt to portray him as soft on crime.
