Revealed: Leading barrister who attacked Rishi Sunak for condemning crooked asylum lawyers has stood TWICE to be a Labour MP

• Sam Townend was selected as parliamentary candidate in two general elections 

A top barrister who last night accused Rishi Sunak of ‘playing politics’ for condemning crooked asylum lawyers has stood twice to be a Labour MP.

Sam Townend KC, vice-chairman of the Bar Council, yesterday criticised the Prime Minister’s response to a Mail investigation exposing the law firms charging thousands of pounds to submit false asylum claims.

The silk blasted Sunak for using ‘damaging rhetoric’ which ‘undermines the rule of law’.

But the Mail can reveal that Mr Townend has not only worked as a Labour councillor in Lambeth, London, but that he was also selected as a Labour Party parliamentary candidate in two general elections.

He ran to be the Labour MP for Reigate in 2005 and then again for the Bristol North West seat in 2010. He lost both seats to the Conservatives.

Sam Townend KC, vice-chairman of the Bar Council, yesterday criticised the Prime Minister’s response to a Mail investigation exposing the law firms charging thousands of pounds to submit false asylum claims

Commenting yesterday on the Mail’s explosive investigation which showed lawyers willing to make fake asylum claims for illegal immigrants, Sunak said: ‘This is what we’re up against.

‘The Labour Party, a subset of lawyers, criminal gangs – they’re all on the same side, propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting people to the UK illegally.’

In response, Mr Townend said: ‘Lawyers are not beyond reproach, and all professions have individuals who commit misconduct and are dishonest. Regulators are there to discipline them.

‘The comments by the Prime Minister, however, are clearly an attempt to play politics with the legal profession. This damaging rhetoric undermines the rule of law, trust in lawyers and confidence in the UK legal system and is to be deplored.’

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