Angela Rayner defended Labour’s attack ads as “no-nonsense and factual” - saying the Tories deserve to be shamed for their appalling record on crime.
It comes as we reveal shocking new details of Tory failure to tackle crime - including a five-time sex attacker who has never been jailed.
The deputy Labour leader said the Tories had “broken” Britain’s criminal justice system, and allowed “sex offenders to get off scot-free.”
And she said the party’s ‘hard-hitting’ strategy was here to stay - piling pressure on Rishi Sunak right through to the next general election.
“We're going to keep highlighting to the electorate what they've done, how they've damaged the country and how we'd repair it,” Ms Rayner told the Sunday Mirror.
“It's no-nonsense, and that's what people want to see. They don't want flannel and fluff.
“It's hard-hitting and it's no nonsense, and it's factual. It's the statistics that are shocking.”
Asked why Labour get a harder time for employing tough tactics than other parties, Ms Rayner said: “They’re used to it from the Tories. They think we're pussycats and they're the lions.
“It's typical for a Tory to be aggressive and behave in that manner. They seem to get away with it."
Ms Rayner suggested some of the online outrage in response to Labour’s punchy attack ads had its roots in the British class system.
Ms Rayner, who was subjected to outrage after branding Tory ministers “a bunch of scum” in remarks at a party conference event - later apologising after reflecting on her comments - suggested some of the double-standard criticism had its roots in the British class system.
"The class system in this country is alive and kicking,” she said.
“There is a social and economic class where some people are considered 'well it's alright, they're important. They can say what they like.'
“Other people [are told] 'you're not allowed to.'"
Ms Rayner spoke to the Sunday Mirror while knocking on doors in Derby, a major target for Labour in next month’s local elections.
Derby is holding ‘all out’ elections next month for the first time in 20 years - which local activists hope will bring years of instability and inability to deliver meaningful change to an end.
But just like everywhere else, it’s hard to get people excited about voting in local elections - and local campaign organisers fear turnout is likely to be reduced even further by the Tories’ new voter ID crackdown.
Brits will have to show photo ID at polling stations for the first time nationwide in May's local elections.
The policy was pushed through by the Tories and defended by Rishi Sunak, despite there being no evidence of large-scale voter impersonation happening in the UK.
Asked if most people she'd met campaigning had the required ID, Ms Rayner said "Some have. Some are not really that bothered [about voting] once you tell people they've got to do another step. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but when I was younger it was quite intimidating going to a voting booth, to be quite honest.
"And then if you tell them they've got to bring ID as well, it seems really official. It's a challenge for people, and getting people to polling stations is already a challenge."
Ms Rayner said the cost of living was the most common topic of discussion when knocking on doors.
She said: “And that's not just because it's what we're focused on. We're focused on it because it keeps coming up, you know what I mean?”
And she spoke about a previously thriving local restaurant she'd visited that morning, which was on the verge of closing after 12 years.
The Covid-era reduction of VAT to 5% had helped the firm survive the pandemic, and the owner had been considering expansion - but had fallen victim to skyrocketing costs this year.
"There was nothing wrong," Ms Rayner said.
"it was one of the top ten best reviewed in the area.
"But VAT, business rates, energy prices, food prices, just made it completely unworkable."
Ms Rayner said the business owner had told her the "triple whammy" of costs had forced her to close the business.
"12 years they've been in business, and they're going to the wall now," she added.
It’s now four months since Mr Sunak unveiled his five priorities for 2023 - halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing the national debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping small boat crossings.
This week he was forced to backtrack on his promise to “stop the boats” until after the next general election, saying it was “a complicated problem.”
Ms Rayner said the PM’s failure to deliver on any of his priorities for this year had left voters “exasperated.”
She said Mr Sunak was distancing himself from the last 13 years of Tory rule, and that “won’t wash with the public.”
“We've had that many prime ministers - they've changed prime ministers more often than I've washed my carpet,” she said. “I think you've got a situation now where the public can see what's going on, and it's not going to wash.”
She branded Mr Sunak’s pension tax giveaway to the wealthy “ridiculous.”
Jeremy Hunt announced in last month's budget that the million pound lifetime allowance on pension pots would be scrapped, allowing the super-rich to stash millions away wihtout paying tax. Labour said the average worker would have to save for 400 years to benefit from the policy,
“Can you afford to put 40 grand a year into your pension pot? Even I can't afford to and I'm a politician,” she said. “Most people round here are thinking ‘how do I pay my rent? How can I pay my mortgage?’”
Ms Rayner the biggest challenge for Labour ahead of next month’s poll was “getting people to realise these elections are happening. They don't seem to get as enthusiastic about local elections.
“People's minds are just so focused on their day-to-day challenges at the moment.”
And the day-to-day is where Labour see an opportunity.
“I think one of the areas where we're being more effective is not only identifying where they're going wrong, but also what we would do differently,” Ms Rayner said.
“And that's a challenge sometimes because we haven't got the books, so its really hard to say ‘we'd do that' with a lot of things.
“But like with the non-dom status, and [a windfall tax on oil and gas companies], it's so blatantly obvious what needs to happen and the government are failing to do it. It's a win-win for us.
“It shouldn't be a political issue, it's a moral issue. And they've not even done that, which has made it easier.”
Ms Rayner recognised the importance of presenting a "credible plan" as well as attacking government failures.
"I think the point is you've got to have both haven't you?
"It's one thing being hard-hitting, and holding them to account in those kind of robust ways, but the other important factor - and what the electorate say to us - is 'well that's alright, you're criticising them, but what would you do?'
"And that, in this campaign, is why we've attached [to all the adverts] an explanation of what we'd do.
The first - and most controversial ad - attacking Mr Sunak for his record on locking up child sex attackers - promised: "Labour will lock up dangerous child abusers."
The most recent ad, criticising the Tories for repeatedly hiking tax, said Labour would "freeze your council tax this year, paid for by a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants."
"If we were in government right now we'd freeze council tax," she said. "The Tories could do that now. They're in power.
"They've got a majority. We said we'd back it. They announce it, steal the policy and help people today.
"They're choosing not to do it."
