British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at a COVID-19 press conference in the Downing Street media briefing room in London, Britain, Dec. 15, 2021. Britain reported 78,610 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 11,010,286, according to official figures released Wednesday. (Simon Dawson/No. 10 Downing Street/Handout via Xinhua)

Britain's embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced renewed pressure Tuesday to apologize to opposition leader Keir Starmer for what critics have called a misleading "Trumpian" attack on him last week. 

Johnson - already facing calls to step down after months of scandals - accused Starmer of failing in 2013 as head of the country's prosecution service to take action against notorious celebrity pedophile Jimmy Savile.

Labour leader Starmer, who led the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2008 to 2013, was not personally involved in the case but has previously apologized on behalf of the CPS for its failures.

Critics, including numerous Conservative MPs, have decried Johnson's claim - made during a fractious parliamentary session - noting it has been propagated by far-right conspiracy theorists. 

Johnson later clarified the remark, saying he accepted Starmer played no direct role in the decision but noting his apology and apparent acceptance of responsibility.

The prime minister has refused to apologize or to retract his accusation.

However, it has come under fresh scrutiny after several dozen anti-lockdown demonstrators mobbed Starmer outside parliament Monday, with one protestor heard claiming he was "protecting pedophiles."

A video posted online showed the Labour leader being jostled before police, who arrested two people, intervened and escorted him to a car.

Within hours, Tory and other lawmakers were repeating calls for Johnson to say sorry.

"PM - apologize please," Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood wrote on Twitter. "Let's stop this drift towards a Trumpian style of politics from becoming the norm. We are better than this."

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said Tuesday that Johnson's attack was "utterly shameful" and "straight out of [the] Trumpian playbook."

Johnson himself took to Twitter to criticize Starmer's treatment Monday as "absolutely disgraceful."

"All forms of harassment of our elected representatives are completely unacceptable," he said.

AFP