Tory MPs divided over social media attack on Labour using pic of BBC presenter

Tory MP Alicia Kearns says of the advert: ‘Colleagues endorsing this sort of ‘politics’ must take full responsibility for the green light they’re giving to abusive behaviour and discourse.’ Photograph: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA

Conservative divisions over immigration have deepened further after the party posted an attack on Labour using an image of a BBC presenter with her middle finger raised, prompting jubilation from some Tory MPs and anger from others.

The official Conservative account on X, formerly Twitter, posted an image on Thursday night of the presenter getting caught on camera jokingly raising her middle finger, accompanied by the caption: “Labour when you ask for their plans to tackle illegal migration.”