Welsh Conservatives condemn mob targeting Keir Starmer while Labour Senedd members call for Johnson apology

Welsh Conservatives have condemned a crowd of anti-vax protestors who mobbed UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, with some shouting false claims that he failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.

Meanwhile, Welsh Labour and Liberal Democrat members have called on Boris Johnson to apologise after he falsely claimed in the House of Commons two weeks ago that Keir Starmer as the leader of the CPS had played a part in the decision.

Police were forced to whisk the Labour leader away in the back of a police car when he was mobbed by a group of anti-vaxxers outside Westminster this evening.

Protesters could also be heard falsely accusing Keir Starmer of “protecting paedophiles,” with one asking “Were you protecting Jimmy Savile?”

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies was among those to condemn the protestors: “This is totally unacceptable. No elected politician, regardless of their rosette, should have to feel threatened when walking our streets.”

Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz also said the footage was “distressing” and that he would not retweet the video. “No politician or person should ever have to deal with this. Hope he and his staff are OK.”

Vale of Clwyd Senedd Member Gareth Davies added: “There is no excuse for this sort of behaviour. Disgusting.”

The Britain that @BorisJohnson has created. https://t.co/SJ1GUAr5Vf

— Alun Davies AS / MS 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@AlunDaviesMS) February 7, 2022

The Liberal Democrats and Labour were however directly condemnatory of Boris Johnson’s false claim regarding Jimmy Saville.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said: “Lies and misinformation have consequences. The longer the Conservatives allow Boris Johnson to remain as Prime Minister, the greater the risk is this type of ugly politics becomes institutionalised.”

Blaenau Gwent Senedd Member Alun Davies called on Boris Johnson’s new comms chief Guto Harri to intervene: “Johnson created this lie Guto Harri, so this isn’t good enough. It’s time to apologise and retract these smears.”

Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney Senedd Member Dawn Bowden added: “This is appalling, and yet another example of the damage the lies of a PM unfit for office cause. Once again he fails to take responsibility for his actions. I hope Keir Starmer is OK this evening.”

Rhondda MP Chris Bryant said: “This is appalling. People were shouting all sorts at Keir, including ‘Jimmy Savile’. This is what happens when a prime minister descends into the gutter and recycles lies from hard-right conspiracy theorists. Political poison has an effect. Johnson has no moral compass.”

Former Downing Street Director of Communications under Tony Blair’s Labour government, Alistair Campbell, also directed his message at Guto Harri.

“Hey there Guto Harri, I hear you’re the guy who can tell Johnson to do the right thing even when he doesn’t want to or doesn’t understand why he should,” he said.

“Can you suggest he issues a full and non-bullshit apology for the Savile smear and condemns unequivocally those who just tried to mob Keir Starmer? Or does he see it as a ‘there are good people on both sides’ kind of thing?”