Labour strategists to press on with Sunak attack ads despite criticism

The ad was defended by Labour’s shadow culture secretary, who said it was obviously ‘a skit’. Photograph: Labour party

Labour frontbenchers have been left uneasy by a “spectacularly misjudged” advert claiming that Rishi Sunak does not support jailing child abusers, but party strategists are preparing to double down on the aggressive campaign.

Keir Starmer faced calls to personally apologise and order the retraction of the ad, which, a campaign group warned, “poisons the water that we all must drink from”.