Labour plans to hit back over Co-op bank “smears” and “Crosbyisation of politics”

After Cameron pinned Miliband down and gave him a torrid time at PMQs yesterday over the happening at the Co-op Bank, Labour are set to change tack today, and go on the offensive against the Tories – both for their own relationship with the troubled bank, and over the “smears” and attacks the Tories have launched against Miliband. The Labour leader has already stated that he acted with “utmost integrity” in his (limited) dealings with disgraced former bank chief Paul Flowers and there’s a feeling within the party leadership that Cameron is trying to make Miliband look guilty by association.

Or as they’re calling it “the Crosbyisation of politics”.

The first stage of the planned fightback has already begun, after Labour this morning started asking questions about George Osborne’s support for the Co-op Bank, following reports in the FT that the Chancellor “leaned on” the EU “to win more lenient capital treatment for the Co-op”. That makes it far harder for Osborne and Cameron to try and paint Labour’s relationship with the Co-op in a bad light, when they were bending over backwards in Brussels to help them. Shadow Chief Secretary Chris Leslie has already been pushing this today, saying:

“The Chancellor and his Ministers actively encouraged the bank’s failed bid for 632 Lloyds branches, with reports of 30 Ministerial meetings to smooth the way for this deal. What due diligence was done by the Chancellor and the Treasury into the state of the Co-op Bank and its leadership? And why did the Chancellor argue in Brussels for the Co-op Bank to be spared from tougher rules? If David Cameron wants a proper inquiry into what went wrong at the Co-op Bank, then George Osborne will have to answer all these questions.”

The second strand of Labour’s planned fightback is aimed at discrediting the Tory attack tactics that the Tories have used (so far, quite effectively) to tie Labour, Miliband and Balls to the disgraced former Co-op boss. Those close to the Labour leader are convinced that these attacks are being co-ordinated by Tory election chief Lynton Crosby and that some sections of the media have fallen for it “hook line and sinker”. They’re convinced that unless challenged, the next 18 months could be dominated by such “smears”.

Jon Ashworth – part of Labour’s Shadow Cabinet team who have been tasked with much of Labour’s attack and rebuttal work – has already been tweeting about the “smears” this morning, saying:

Expect much more of this over the next twenty four hours