THE LABOUR Party reacted angrily yesterday to the decision by the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, to award a peerage to two advertising executives who have masterminded several controversial Conservative election posters.
The furore continued unabated as two senior politicians hurled abuse at each other during a live radio debate on the issue. Clearly very angry, the Shadow Environment Secretary, Mr Frank Dobson, said the award to Mr Maurice Saatchi, who devised the current Tories "demon" poster of the Labour leader, and to Mr Peter Gummer, the brother of the Environment Secretary who worked on the 1992 election campaign, had plunged the pee rage system to "new depths".
Mr Dobson said: "I think it is quite extraordinary that right in the middle of a row about what is the dirtiest election campaign in history the government choose to give peerages to the two people who are putting this dirty lying campaign together."
The Defence Secretary, Mr Michael Portillo, accused Mr Dobson of creating a "ridiculous synthetic row", because of his "envy" and suggested that his remarks were "outrageous and probably libellous".
He also urged the Labour leader, Mr Tony Blair, to sack Mr Dobson. "His incontinent attack on the Conservative nominations is unprecedented and disgraceful. If Mr Blair retains any concern for the proprieties of the British constitution, he should sack Mr Dobson," added Mr Portillo.
After Mr Dobson retorted that he was "not going to take any lessons in British propriety" from Mr Portillo, the radio presenter was forced to intervene and restore order.
The two new peers were among 14 life peers announced yesterday. Mr Saatchi (50) has helped the Tories win four consecutive general elections. Earlier this year it was revealed that his advertising agency was being paid over £1 million by Conservative Central Office to mastermind the next election campaign.
Mr Gummer is the chairman of Shandwick PR company and is currently working with Mr Saatchi on the "New Labour New Danger" campaign. The other four new Tory peers, who are all nominated by Mr Major, include Mr John Taylor, the barrister whose selection to represent the party at Cheltenham during the last election provoked a fierce race dispute within the constituency. He will be the Tories' first black peer.
Among Labour new peers is the Punjabi born businessman, Dr Swarj Paul, who has donated over £100,000 to the party and Mr Larry Whitty, the party's former general secretary.