Emily Thornberry has defended a widely-criticised Labour party ad which claims Rishi Sunak doesn’t think child sex abusers should go to prison.

The ad, first published on Thursday, depicts a grinning picture of the Prime Minister alongside the caption: ‘Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak doesn’t.’

Figures on Labour’s left have joined with Tory unease over the message, and shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell has refused to endorse it.

But the shadow attorney general has said critics were wrong for saying the ad is ‘racist’.

Ms Thornberry told BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions: ‘I heard a lot of people criticising it, and a lot of people who I like and respect criticising it and saying they felt very uncomfortable about it. Some people said that they thought it was racist.

‘I have to say, I think they’re wrong. I just disagree with that. I think the truth is we do need to have a debate in this country, and Rishi Sunak is the prime minister and he is responsible for a broken justice system.’

Asked if she genuinely thinks Mr Sunak held these views, Ms Thornberry responded: ‘If he believes that everyone responsible for child abuse should get a custodial sentence, why are so many not getting a custodial sentence?

‘He is the prime minister and that is a legitimate question for the opposition to ask.’

Minutes for the council’s meetings show the issue was initially raised in May 2012- when Starmer was Director of Public Prosecutions at the Crown Prosecution Service, and nearly three years before Sunak became an MP.

Despite the barrage of criticism Labour has not taken down the ad and instead posted another message claiming Mr Sunak of not wanting to jail ‘dangerous gunmen’.

This claim is untrue because judges and magistrates, rather than the prime minister of the day, are responsible for handing out sentences.

The figures highlighted by Labour also cover the period since 2010, five years before Mr Sunak entered parliament. He did not become prime minister until October last year.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article