Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has adopted the nickname 'Sir Softy' for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, using the term at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. The insult, which portrays Starmer as soft on crime, was first used by the Sun newspaper in March and has since been promoted by Conservative politicians.
The nickname originated from a Sun headline on 22 March about foreign-national criminals who committed further offences after the government failed to deport them to Jamaica. Sunak told the Commons: 'That’s why they call him Sir Softy – soft on crime, soft on criminals.'
The Conservative-supporting Daily Mail continued the narrative on Thursday, running the front-page headline: 'Rapist who proves Starmer really is “Sir Softy” on crime.' This feedback loop between right-wing newspapers and the government underscores the role of tabloid headlines in political attacks.
The 'Sir' prefix is likely to irk Starmer, who has worried that his knighthood undermines his working-class image. The attacks focus on Starmer's signing of a letter in 2020 opposing a deportation flight to Jamaica, which the Conservatives now link to subsequent offences by individuals who were due to be removed.
Starmer has emphasised his record as Director of Public Prosecutions to project toughness on crime, but his tenure has been criticised over the handling of the Jimmy Savile case. The shift in attack lines signals that law and order will be a key battleground at the next general election.
