Sir Softy? No, the Tories judged Keir Starmer ‘a man of great integrity’

A new biography of Starmer reveals that the Tories would have handed him a second five-year term as director of public prosecutions – and (worse!) regarded him as ‘one of the most successful directors of recent years’, writes Andrew Grice

The Labour leader was at the helm of public prosecutions for half a decade, from 2008 to 2013 (PA)

Unusually, both the Conservatives and Labour want to talk about Keir Starmer’s record as director of public prosecutions (DPP) from 2008-13.

For the Tories, it provides evidence that the “lefty lawyer” they call “Sir Softy” is soft on crime. They need all the ammunition they can muster on the issue, on which they have traditionally been ahead of Labour – but now trail Starmer’s party.

However, Labour is convinced that Starmer’s performance at the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) can be turned into “a huge asset”. One close ally told me Starmer can be cast as “the UK’s Eliot Ness”. The real one led a team of incorruptible prohibition agents in Chicago called The Untouchables and was integral in bringing down the mobster Al Capone.