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MPs and commentators from across the political spectrum have criticized a Labor attack ad claiming Rishi Sunak does not believe child sex molesters should go to prison.

The opposition party was accused of “cheap and demeaning” politics and “cutting down” after posting the ad on Twitter on Thursday.

In a tweet billing itself as “law and order party”, Labor shared a photo of the prime minister along with the words: “Do you think adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to prison? Rishi Sunak does not.”

Labor MP John McDonnell urged the party to go down, saying: “This is not the kind of politics that a Labor Party, confident in its own values ​​and preparing to govern, should be involved in.

“I say to people who have made the decision to post this ad, please take it down. We, the Labor Party, are better than this.”

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood described the announcement as “appalling” and said it threatened to undermine the democratic process, adding: “We should be better than this. I’ve called out my own side for ducking and I’m doing it again now.”

SNP MP John Nicolson said: “This is absolutely nauseating. Politics cheapened and degraded. The Labor Party wants to win, of course, but how?

Conservative MP Robert Largan said: “I’m not going to quote him on Twitter. But that Labor Party post about the Prime Minister is in the gutter. Really embarrassing stuff.”

A Tory source said: “Labour HQ have highlighted Sir Keir’s appalling record on child protection.

“During Sir Keir’s controversial tenure as director of public prosecution, less than 30% of child pornographers saw the inside of a prison cell.

“No wonder only 12% of his staff thought he was good and the criminals want a Labor government.”

It comes amid increased efforts by Labor and the Conservatives to present themselves as the party of law and order in the run-up to local elections.

Both major parties have put crime-fighting plans at the center of their campaigns to win votes on May 4.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer reiterated his pledge to halve levels of violence against women and girls when he met charities supporting victims in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, early Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sunak has announced a crackdown on recruitment gangs to protect young women and girls from sexual abuse, with measures including a new police task force of specialist officers and the collection of ethnic data.