Boris Johnson’s discredited claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile was part of the “cut and thrust” of parliamentary proceedings, a Cabinet minister claimed.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab refused to repeat the allegation levelled at the Labour leader by Mr Johnson.
Sir Keir described the claim as a “ridiculous slur peddled by right-wing trolls” and claimed Mr Johnson had “debased” himself by saying it.
Mr Raab, the Justice Secretary, said he was “certainly not repeating it” during a broadcast interview, without the protection of parliamentary privilege.
But Tory former Cabinet minister Julian Smith said the Prime Minister should withdraw the “false and baseless” smear.
Sir Keir was director of public prosecutions from 2008 to 2013, but is not thought to have been involved in decisions relating to sexual offence allegations against disgraced entertainer Savile.
In the Commons on Monday, as he battled to defend himself from the partygate row, Mr Johnson claimed Sir Keir “used his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile”.
Mr Raab told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “This is the cut and thrust of Parliamentary debate and exchanges.”
He said he could not substantiate the claim, adding: “I’m certainly not repeating it, I don’t have the facts.”
Mr Smith, a former chief whip, said: “The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Savile yesterday is wrong and cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn.
“False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust and can’t just be accepted as part of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate.”
Sir Keir told Sky News: “It is a ridiculous slur peddled by right-wing trolls… this is where I saw the faces of the Conservative MPs, the disgust on their faces that their Prime Minister was debasing himself by sinking so low in the Chamber was clear.
“They knew that he was going so low with that slur, with that lie – he had been advised not to do it because it’s obviously not true, but he does it because he doesn’t understand what honesty and integrity means.”
Nazir Afzal, a former chief Crown prosecutor for the North West, responded to Mr Johnson’s comments by saying that the reference made to Savile by Mr Johnson was “a disgrace to Parliament & office of Prime Minister”.
He wrote on Twitter: “Its not true. I was there. Keir Starmer had nothing to do with the decisions taken. On the contrary, He supported me in bringing 100s of child sex abusers to justice.”
In 2020, fact checking charity Full Fact looked into the claim that Sir Keir had stopped Savile being charged in 2009.
Full Fact said Sir Keir was head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) when the decision not to prosecute Savile was made on the grounds of “insufficient evidence”, adding: “The allegations against Savile were dealt with by local police and a reviewing lawyer for the CPS.
“A later investigation criticised the actions of both the CPS and the police in their handling of the situation.
“It did not suggest that Mr Starmer was personally involved in the decisions made.”
The independent fact-checking organisation concluded: “Mr Starmer was head of the CPS when the decision was made not to prosecute Savile but he was not the reviewing lawyer for the case.
“An official investigation commissioned later by Starmer criticised both prosecutors and police for their handling of the allegations.”
Savile died in 2011 aged 84 having never been brought to justice for his crimes.
He is now believed to be one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders.
A 2016 report into his abuse found staff at the BBC missed numerous opportunities to stop him.
