Wes Streeting defends ‘desperate’ Labour ads, vows to press on
Wes Streeting has defended the Labour Party’s recent campaign of attack adverts, saying the party will continue to “go after the Prime Minister”. The Shadow Health Secretary told GB News that Sir Keir Starmer “fully supports” the controversial campaign, which has attracted criticism from both Conservatives and from inside the Labour Party. Labour’s recent campaign has seen the party publish a series of adverts on Twitter taking aim at the Conservatives’ record in Government.
One advert claimed Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison, citing Ministry of Justice figures that 4,500 adults convicted of sexually assaulting children have avoided jail and instead received community or suspended sentences since 2010.
Critics from within the Labour Party have warned Sir Keir that the adverts may damage the party’s standing in “blue wall” seats in the south of England.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “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.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also distanced herself from the advert, claiming she was not consulted about it.
Meanwhile, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Labour MP for Brighton, Kempton, criticised the ads, warning they could backfire and “harm” the party in some parts of the country.
He told the Independent: “I’ve expressed my disquiet about it the very highest level of the party, and my concern that it might have a negative electoral impact in Brighton.”
One senior Labour backbencher said numerous MPs had complained to Sir Keir about the ad, saying it had caused deep frustration across the party.
They claimed many MPs had criticised the strategy on parliamentary WhatsApp groups, dismissing it as “gutter politics”.
Members of the shadow cabinet are also understood to be uncomfortable with the new tactics, having not been consulted about the messaging.
But speaking to GB News, Mr Streeting defended the posters, claiming that Labour is holding the Prime Minister to account “for his record of failure”.
He said: “He’s [Keir Starmer] been absolutely robust in saying that we we are going to go after the Prime Minister for his record of failure.
“We’ve done it on crime, we’ve done it on the economy this week, and in the coming week we’re going to do it again on the NHS.
“I think the conservatives record of failure is utterly appalling. And anyone who looks at those ads and feels offended on Rishi Sunak’s behalf should be offended on the behalf of victims of crime.”
Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson described the adverts as “vile and desperate”.
Senior Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood described the ad campaign as “appalling” and said it threatened to undermine the democratic process.
Source: Read Full Article