Keir Starmer faces Easter uprising over Labour campaign attacking Rishi Sunak

Labour MPs complain to their leader and warn ‘ugly’ new tactics will backfire in blue wall

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing a furious backlash from his own MPs about the “ugly and degrading” attack ads that claim Rishi Sunak does not think child sex abusers should go to prison.

Labour MPs told The Independent they had personally complained to their leader about the Twitter ads – warning him that it will damage the party’s standing in “blue wall” seats in the south of England.

It comes as shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper distanced herself from the Twitter graphic on child sex abusers – with her team making clear she was not consulted about the ad devised by Labour strategists.