Deputy Prime Minister pressured to explain why the Government is releasing serious criminals from jail early
David Lammy speaks at PMQs in Parliament (Image: UK Parliament)
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy squirmed when he was asked to explain why the Government is releasing rapists and other serious sex offenders from jail early. He refused to apologise and instead tried to highlight the record of the Conservative government before Labour came to power in 2024.
Mr Lammy was filling in for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and responded to questions in the weekly session of PMQs, while Sir Keir was at the NATO summit in Turkey. Shadow Local Government Secretary James Cleverly said it was wrong “to release 5,000 serious criminals including rapists, including paedophiles”. He asked Mr Lammy, who is also the Justice Secretary responsible for prisons, to promise that no rapists would be released early.
Mr Cleverly said: “Will he apologise to the victims of the rapists, sexual predators and paedophiles that he is planning to release early?”
The Conservative MP said: “He will look back on this exchange and I think he will be shocked by how this is coming across.”
Mr Cleverly said: “50,000 prisoners released early in just two years on his watch. I am genuinely shocked that when given the opportunity to apologise to victims, he very publicly refused to do so.”
And he asked Mr Lammy: “Why is he pursing a policy that he must know is both wrong and dangerous?”
But Mr Lammy said: “Every decision we have taken has been on the basis of public safety and justice for victims.”
The Labour minister added: “This is rich” coming from a Conservative MP. He said the Tories had cut police numbers and closed prisons.
And Mr Lammy complained that the Conservative Party had failed to offer an alternative plan to early release of offenders.