Rishi Sunak launches blistering attack on Sir Keir Starmer and uses The Sun’s ‘Sir Softie’ headline

RISHI Sunak launched a blistering attack on Sir Keir Starmer yesterday — using The Sun’s “Sir Softie” headline to drive home his point.

The PM borrowed the line as he condemned the Labour leader’s stance on fighting offending and his shaky record as Director of Public Prosecutions.

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He also accused Sir Keir of voting down dozens of Tory bills designed to crack down on criminals and derided him as a “leftie lawyer”.

It came after a controversial Labour advert, opposed by some in the party, claiming Mr Sunak did not believe paedophiles should be jailed.

Going on the attack during Prime Minister’s Questions — the rivals’ first head-to-head since the Easter mudslinging — Mr Sunak blasted: “Since 2010, crime is down by 50 per cent under the Conservative Government.

“There are 20,000 more police officers, we have given them more powers, and we have toughened up sentencing — all opposed by Sir Softie over there.”

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The PM added: “Here is the record: We are cracking down on grooming gangs, and the Leader of the Opposition is uncomfortable addressing them.

“We toughened the law on sex offenders so they spend longer in prison — he voted against it.

"We have increased rape convictions by over 60 per cent — meanwhile, he attended 21 Sentencing Council meetings that watered down punishments.

“That is why they call him Sir Softie: soft on crime, soft on criminals.”

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Sir Keir hit back to claim the Tories had created “the largest court backlog on record” and were “letting violent criminals go free”.

But Mr Sunak replied: “I love it when the Right Hon and learned gentleman talks about his record as a leftie lawyer.

“I have read that people were ‘really disappointed’ that his organisation had been ‘letting down . . . victims’.

“That was not even my assessment — it was that of his Shadow Attorney General.”

We dubbed Sir Keir “Sir Softie” last month after we told how he campaigned to keep violent thugs set for deportation in Britain.

Many permitted to stay went on to commit further serious crimes.