LABOUR’S Attorney General has been forced to backtrack on an incendiary Nazi slur against Tories and Reform MPs who want to quit the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lord Richard Hermer today said he “regrets” his “clumsy” language while making the attack on his political rivals.
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His outburst yesterday left even his own colleagues fuming at the “unbelievable” comparison between his political rivals and the rise of Third Reich fascism.
One Labour MP told The Sun the Cabinet Minister’s remarks were “pathetic, childish and out of touch.”
Lord Hermer used a speech on Thursday to warn the “siren song” of some MPs pushing for Britain to break with elements of international law is “not a new song”.
He added it was a “claim that was made in the early 1930s by ‘realist’ jurists in Germany most notably Carl Schmitt”, who was a leading Nazi ideologist.
The Tories branded his comments “appalling” and Reform said it showed him “unfit to be Attorney General”.
Mounting pressure this afternoon saw Lord Hermer forced to issue a semi-apologetic statement.
His spokesman said: “He rejects the characterisation of his speech by the Conservatives. He acknowledges though that his choice of words was clumsy and regrets having used this reference.”
Labour insiders are privately furious with Lord Hermer’s comments, which marked the latest spell of controversy for the Attorney General.
One MP said: “It’s beneath our politics. It’s one of those go-to comparisons for anybody that disagrees with someone.
“You see it all the time on social media but it’s much worse when it comes to a politician.
“There is also a whiff of ivory tour about it. It’s a philosophical outlook that doesn’t always respect the reality on the ground for people.”
A senior party figure added: “What planet was he on when he thought pressing the Nazi button was in any way appropriate? It’s just unbelievable.”
Lord Hermer – a friend of Sir Keir Starmer from their days as human rights barristers – has faced previous criticism for representing Gerry Adams and fighting to block migrant deportations.
