There is a reason Starmer is under fire for his record as a lawyer – and a good reason he should defend it | Robert Verkaik

The scrutiny is inevitable given he has used his past to political benefit. But he should stand up for the system he was part of

Keir Starmer has had a target on his back since he became the leader of the Labour party. So far, potshots taken by the Tories attacking his legal career before he entered parliament have made no impression on Labour's poll ratings.

Next year, Conservative party HQ hopes to change that with a barrage of personal attack ads, newspaper stories and negative briefings all aimed at the Labour leader's record as director of public prosecutions (DPP) and his time as a human rights barrister. The first port of call for the political diggers is Lord Ashcroft's recent biography of Starmer, Red Knight, considered an encyclopedia of potentially incendiary material.

Robert Verkaik is an author and covered legal affairs for the Independent and the Mail on Sunday