'Desperate and pathetic' Rishi Sunak slammed for 'gutter' Labour gangs claim

25 July 2023 , 16:36

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Rishi Sunak is accused of resorting to 'gutter' politics (Image: James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)

Struggling Rishi Sunak has been branded "desperate and pathetic" after making a false claim that Labour has sided with "criminal gangs".

The PM - who is under pressure to address a huge asylum backlog and deliver on his promise to stop the boats - came under fire over his clumsy attempt to deflect the blame to Labour.

He was accused of plumbing "a new depth" after claiming the opposition, who were last in power in 2010, were "propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting people to the UK illegally".

Labour's shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock called it "desperate stuff from a desperate PM out of ideas".

Stephen Kinnock said the PM is 'desperate' and 'out of ideas'

It comes after the Daily Mail alleged that multiple solicitors had agreed to help an undercover reporter posing as an economic migrant to submit a phoney application in exchange for thousands of pounds.

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Mr Kinnock said Labour has called for the Solicitors Regulation Authority to launch an urgent inquiry into "despicable rogue lawyers".

The row was sparked after Mr Sunak shared the story on Twitter, writing: "This is what we're up against.

"The Labour Party, a subset of lawyers, criminal gangs - they're all on the same side, propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting people to the UK illegally. I have a plan to stop it."

Labour has said the Government's flagship Illegal Migration Act and Rwanda policy, which the High Court last month ruled was illegal, are a "sham".

Critics argue the measures will fail to tackle a mammoth first decision asylum backlog, which stood at 137,583 in May, and give a boost to traffickers.

It comes after Labour was criticised for a misleading advert claiming Mr Sunak thought paedophiles shouldn't be jailed

Mr Kinnock wrote: "Desperate stuff from a desperate PM out of ideas. Labour has called for Solicitors Regulation Authority to launch an urgent inquiry into these despicable rogue lawyers.

"Labour has a 5pt plan to stop small boats & end hotel use. Sunak’s new sham law will do neither & cost £bns!"

After Mr Sunak accused Labour of having an "open door" immigration policy because it opposed the Illegal Migration Bill, Mr Kinnock responded: "Wrong again.

"Labour rejects this Bill because it'll make it harder to remove people who've no right to be here, and traps genuine refugees in indefinite limbo.

"It could cost taxpayer £9bn over 3 years. Labour’s 5pt plan to end the crossings is based on common sense & hard graft"

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Labour frontbencher Jim McMahon, shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, wrote: "When all else is lost, the only place you have is the gutter.

"Poor yes. Desperate and pathetic from Sunak too."

Labour MP Chris Bryant, who chairs the Commons Standards Committee, also condemned the Prime Minister's language.

"In his desperation he has plumbed a new depth," he said.

"My political opponents aren't enemies, or enemies of the people or a 'criminal gang'. He debases his office and forgets act as PM of the United Kingdom not seek to sow division."

However some Tory MPs showed their support for the floundering PM, with backbench right-winger Brendan Clarke-Smith claiming the comments "hits the nail on the head".

It is a discouraging sign ahead of what promises to be an ugly General Election, expected to take place next year.

Earlier this year Labour was criticised for an attack on the Prime Minister after it ran a misleading advert accusing him of not wanting to see child sex abusers jailed.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell fumed: "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."

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Dave Burke