Overview

• Senior Tories have demanded the removal of a controversial attack ad posted on social media by the Conservative Party, which features BBC news anchor Maryam Moshiri giving the middle finger.
• The ad, intended as a critique of Labour's immigration policy, has been criticized by some within the Conservative Party as 'gutter politics' and 'beneath us'.
• Despite the backlash, the ad remains posted on the social media platform X, with a party source defending it as a 'humorous and topical encapsulation of the Labour Party’s position'.
• The incident has further exposed divisions within the Conservative Party over immigration policy, with some MPs expressing approval of the ad.
• Maryam Moshiri has apologized for the gesture, which she says was a 'silly joke' not intended for a live broadcast.