Rishi Sunak rolls out new ‘Sir Softy’ attack against Keir Starmer in fiery PMQs exchange on crime

Mr Sunak lashed out at Mr Starmer’s background as a ‘leftie lawyer’ and repeated past criticism of his tenure as director of public prosecutions

The prime minister said: ‘That’s why they call him Sir Softy, soft on crime, soft on criminals.’ (Parliament TV)

Rishi Sunak has opened up a new line of attack on “Sir Softy” Keir Starmer as he launched a withering onslaught on the Labour leader’s record on crime.

In a PMQs session in which the pair sought to one-up each other on their record on crime, the prime minister criticised the leader of the opposition as “soft on crime and soft on criminals”.

He lashed out at Mr Starmer’s background as a “leftie lawyer” and repeated past criticism of his tenure as director of public prosecutions from Labour’s home secretary Emily Thornberry.

The prime minister said: “We toughened the law on sex offenders so they spend longer in prison; he voted against it.

“We increased rape convictions by over 60 per cent; meanwhile he attended 21 sentencing council meetings that watered down punishment.

“That’s why they call him Sir Softy, soft on crime, soft on criminals.”

Environment secretary Thérèse Coffey was quick to back the line, accusing “Sir Softy” of “getting a bit desperate” in his defence against Mr Sunak’s criticism.

The Labour leader said he has “prosecuted thousands upon thousands of sex offenders” and accused Mr Sunak of not knowing how the criminal justice system works.

And he highlighted praise from the home affairs select committee in 2013 which “commended the work of director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer”. The committee, then chaired by disgraced former Labour MP Keith Vaz, said “the work Mr Starmer did should provide a model to other agencies and when he leaves the CPS he will be missed”.

The committee’s report was presented to parliament by then home secretary Theresa May and supported by the government, Mr Starmer said.

Labour MP Justin Madders backed Mr Starmer, accusing the prime minister of “channelling his inner [Boris] Johnson with playground jibes”. He said: “Literally nobody has ever called him that before - a pathetic diversion from the Tories’ weak record on crime where violent criminals don’t go to prison.”

The attack came a week after policing minister Chris Philp called Mr Starmer the “wettest Labour leader” on crime in history.

Mr Philp added that his record is worse than his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who the Conservatives also described as “soft on crime”.

“When you look at how Keir Starmer has behaved and how his Labour party has voted in parliament that’s why I say he’s the wettest Labour leader on crime we’ve seen,” he said.

Mr Philp’s comments, and Mr Sunak’s new attack line, come amid a bitter row between Labour and the Conservatives over crime. Labour has run a series of controversial adverts criticising Mr Sunak over the issue, including one claiming the prime minister does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.