7 APRIL 2023 | NEWS
The Labour Party has received severe criticism for its advertising campaign attacking Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as the Government’s record on both child sexual assault and gun control.
In the campaign, originally published on Thursday, the party appears to accuse Mr Sunak of a lack of regard for victims of childhood sexual abuse.
One of the graphics depicts the Prime Minister next to the question: “Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.”
Adding that the Labour Party, if elected, would “lock up dangerous child abusers”, it quotes a statistic sourced from the Ministry of Justice that “4,500 adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under 16 served no prison time”.
But Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell repeatedly refused to endorse the message expressed in the advert, although she did add that it highlighted concerns about the efficacy of the child protection system.
Acknowledging that it was “not to everybody’s taste”, Ms Powell said: “I stand by what this tweet and this campaign is trying to highlight. The graphic itself, obviously, is a skit based on his own graphics that he extensively uses.”
John McDonnell, a Labour MP seen as on the left wing of the Labour Party, has also condemned the campaign, urging the party’s leadership to withdraw the tweet.
There was also criticism from both current and former Conservative MPs, with Tobias Ellwood describing the picture as “appalling” and adding: “We should be better than this. I’ve called it out on my own side for stooping low and do so again now.”
And former Justice Minister Rory Stewart said: “Is someone going to point out that this is about laws, sentencing guidelines and judicial practices? That were not and would not be different under Labour? Or talk about how even tougher sentences have overcrowded prisons?”
SNP MP John Nicolson also weighed in, saying the image “cheapened and debased” the political debate around the issue.
It was also reported by political blogging website Guido Fawkes that although Mr Sunak was not in fact sitting in Parliament the last time the rules for dangerous sex offenders were revised, the present Leader of the Opposition – in his former role as Director of Public Prosecutions – was a member of the Sentencing Council at the time.
On Friday, the Labour Party posted another similar image on Twitter, this time in relation to gun control. It asked the question: “Do you think an adult convicted of possessing a gun with intent to harm should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.”
Both images cite Ministry of Justice data that is publicly available and can be verified. However, no comparison with statistics from the Labour Party’s own record in government between 1997 2010 has been cited.
At the time of publication, both tweets remain live and have not been withdrawn. The Labour Party has not yet responded to a request for comment.
