Starmer condemns ‘desperate’ Tory ad showing people with hands up in surrender

Sir Keir Starmer has condemned as “desperate” a Tory attack advert depicting people with their hands up and urging voters not to “surrender” to Labour.

The Labour leader also said he was “genuinely disappointed” Rishi Sunak “resorted to lies” about his party’s tax plans.

The Prime Minister shared a poster on X showing a picture of a man, woman and child holding their hands in the air as if at gunpoint.

The text on the image reads “don’t surrender your family’s future to Labour”, doubling down on a warning issued by Mr Sunak repeatedly during his final head-to-head TV debate with Sir Keir.

“I think it underlines the difference between the two campaigns now. They are running a very negative campaign, nothing about the future of the country.

“I’m very happy to be the candidate going into the final week who is putting forward a more positive case for the change the country needs.”

Mr Sunak urged voters not to “surrender” to Labour’s tax, welfare and migration plans more than a dozen times in Wednesday night’s heated BBC exchange.

He also reiterated the much-disputed claim that a Labour government would hike taxes by £2,000 per household.

Sir Keir told Channel 5 News: “I’m disappointed that happened in the debate. I’m genuinely disappointed that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom resorted to lies. I just don’t think that should happen.”

He said the TV showdown had been “fiery”, but insisted “I’m not motivated by personal animosity (towards Mr Sunak) in the slightest”.

He told broadcasters in Derbyshire: “This is an incredibly important election, and there’s an important choice for people. And I don’t want people to sleepwalk into something.

“I believe that a Labour government would be very damaging for our country.

“I get that people are frustrated with me and our party, but this is not a by-election. This is a choice about our future, and that choice will have severe consequences for people’s financial security.”

But the poster drew criticism online.

Brendan Cox, who was married to murdered MP Jo Cox, tweeted: “Labour are going to gun down your family. Don’t pretend you weren’t warned… Er…”