Nadhim Zahawi criticised for advert attacking Labour and Mick Lynch

Nadhim Zahawi has shared a Tory advert attacking the Labour party.

So far, so nothing to see here?

The advert shows an image of RMT boss Mick Lynch with Labour leader Keir Starmer photoshopped into his breast pocket. Writing on top of the image adds: "Labour voted for their union paymasters... we know who's really running the show."

Seems pretty normal fodder for Tories to push on social media right?

But there's just one problem. The advert is pure misinformation. The RMT does not fund the Labour party or overtly back it.

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Here's the truth. In 2018, the party agreed that the union's 200 branches and regional councils can choose to help fund Labour party at elections if they want so they are linked but not affiliated. It used to be properly affiliated, but ended this link in 2004 after the union rejected an ultimatum from Tony Blair's run Labour to stop supporting the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP).

So it is a dodgy line for the Tories to push, and apart from that the crop Zahawi shared made it look like Lynch was set to appear in a musical, or something like that:

When the Tories are resorting to pure fake news to try and change hearts and minds, you know they are in trouble.

indy100 has contacted Zahawi and the Tories to comment on this story.

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