The justice secretary has unveiled new plans to tackle the overcrowding crisis that has engulfed jails across the country.
In a speech at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire, Shabana Mahmood said failing to ease pressure on prisons could cause a “total breakdown of law and order”.
Thousands of prisoners are to be released earlier than planned as the government attempts to avert the “collapse” of the prisons system.
The plans would see a temporary reduction in the proportion of their sentence many prisoners must serve in jail from 50 per cent to 44 per cent.
This would not apply to violent offenders serving more than four years, sex offenders or those in prison for crimes connected to domestic abuse.
The change is expected to come into force in September, with the Justice Secretary also announcing the recruitment of 1,000 additional trainee probation officers by March.
It comes as Nigel Farage is set to return to GB News next week after being elected as an MP on his eighth attempt, the channel has confirmed.
Ofcom repeatedly found that the broadcaster breached rules on impartiality, which allow politicians to present current affairs programmes but not act as newsreaders.
Key Points
- Labour set out emergency plans to tackle collapsing prisons
- Starmer says ‘unforgivable' prison overcrowding crisis ‘worse than we thought’
- Justice secretary: ‘Sunak and his gang in Number Ten are guilty men’
- Health minister Wes Streeting to ban puberty blockers permanently
- Suella Braverman blasts Labour’s early release prison plan
Food bank launches campaign to end subsidised ‘fine dining’ for MPs
21:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The largest food bank in Westminster, home of the Houses of Parliament, has called for an end to subsidised “fine dining” for MPs, suggesting funds be redirected to combating poverty.
The North Paddington food bank (NPFB) has launched the campaign “No Food in The House” urging Parliament to use the millions spent on subsidised catering for MPs to tackle food insecurity across the country.
Politicians could enjoy a full three-course meal for as little as £10.41 last year, according to the charity, costing the taxpayer a reported £7million a year.
20:30
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The early release of prisoners will include inmates convicted of assault and “relatively serious violent offences,” the head of the Prison Governors Association warned, but he said it was the best possible option.
The Government has said no one serving a sentence of more than four years for violent offences will be released early, but Tom Wheatley said ones serving shorter sentences would be freed at the 40% mark rather than 50%.
Asked whether the early release was the best possible option, he told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “Yes, it’s the best we can do now.
“Had the previous government acted earlier, we might have been able to do something different.”
Asked which violent prisoners could be released early, Mr Wheatley said: “There will be offences of assault, there will be relatively serious violent offences, and it will include those people.
“The fact is though, those people are going to get out of prison, and whether they get out at the 40% point or 50% point, we stand a reasonable chance of them making a success of their release and not going on to commit further offences.”
20:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Prisoners to serve shorter sentences until 2026 to avert ‘total breakdown of law and order’
19:30
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Emergency plans to cut prisoner sentence lengths to ease the overcrowding crisis and avert “a total breakdown in law and order” will last until 2026 at least, the justice secretary has announced.
In a furious speech at HMP Five Wells, Shabana Mahmood lambasted the decision by Rishi Sunak’s government to delay the new measures announced by Labour on Friday to release thousands of prisoners 40 per cent of the way into their sentences – as opposed to halfway through – until after the election.
And it was also revealed that the emergency early release scheme brought in by the previous government in October had seen 10,000 inmates freed early, but had barely put a dent in the soaring prison population.
Inspector of prisons: Decision to address prisons crisis ‘needed to be taken’
19:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
A decision to address the prisons crisis “needed to be taken and none would have been without risk”, chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor said.
“This is a critical point for prisons, with barely any places left and the effects of existing measures such as ECSL (End of Custody Supervised Licence) being exhausted,” he said in a statement.
“While we therefore welcome recognition of the seriousness of the situation, and swift action to manage the prison populations to relieve the immediate strain many jails are under, this latest measure will inevitably lead to the early release of some risky offenders, and will add to the workload of already stretched prison OMUs and probation services.
“How these men are prepared for release and how prisons and probation are supported in managing them will be vital.
“We will be watching this very closely as well as any plans that are developed once the immediate pressure is relieved that seek to make prisons places of genuine purpose, help people to break the cycle of reoffending and protect the public from future harm.”
Starmer says ‘Britain belongs on world stage’ at end of first summit as PM
18:30
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Sir Keir Starmer declared the UK was back playing a leading role on the world stage at the conclusion of his first international summit as Prime Minister.
Sir Keir said he would “reset” the UK’s relationship with Europe, “return to leadership” on climate change and “engage more deeply” with developing countries in the southern hemisphere.
His comments came at the conclusion of Nato’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington, where the Prime Minister said the allies had united behind Ukraine and the idea that a Russian victory is “unthinkable”.
Keir Starmer gives verdict on bank holiday if England win Euros
18:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer would not commit to an extra bank holiday if England win Euro 2024.
The Labour leader said the UK should “certainly mark the occasion” but said he did not want to “jinx anything” by pre-empting the result of Sunday’s final.
The Liberal Democrats led calls for an extra bank holiday after England claimed a last-minute 2-1 victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday. Gareth Southgate’s side will now play Spain in the finals.
Food bank launches campaign to end subsidised ‘fine dining’ for MPs
17:30
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
The largest food bank in Westminster, home of the Houses of Parliament, has called for an end to subsidised “fine dining” for MPs, suggesting funds be redirected to combating poverty.
The North Paddington food bank (NPFB) has launched the campaign “No Food in The House” urging Parliament to use the millions spent on subsidised catering for MPs to tackle food insecurity across the country.
Politicians could enjoy a full three-course meal for as little as £10.41 last year, according to the charity, costing the taxpayer a reported £7million a year.
Suella Braverman says Tories ‘shamefully’ did not build enough prisons in bizarre attack on own party
17:00
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Suella Braverman launched a bizarre attack on her own party’s policies, urging the Conservatives to admit they “shamefully” did not build enough prisons while in office.
As Labour announced a series of measures to ease the overcrowding crisis facing UK jails, the ex-home secretary said the Tories needed to “take responsibility for what we left undone”.
Sir Keir Starmer’s newly appointed justice secretary Shabana Mahmood warned on Friday that without immediate action to address overcrowding, prisons would run out of space within weeks leading to “a total breakdown of law and order”.
UK plans to release more prisoners early to tackle overcrowding
16:31
Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Britain’s new Labour government plans to expand the early release of prisoners from September to tackle a jail overcrowding crisis which justice minister Shabana Mahmood said threatened to create “a total breakdown of law and order”.
Prisons in England and Wales have space for only 700 more male inmates and are likely to be full within weeks, after which cells in police stations would need to be used, preventing officers from patrolling the streets.
“We could see looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight,” Mahmood said in a speech at a prison in central England, blaming the crisis on her Conservative predecessors.
Under the plan, which is subject to parliamentary approval, most prisoners will become eligible for release after serving 40% of their sentences behind bars, down from 50% currently.
Prisoners who are let out can be returned to jail if they reoffend or break other terms of their release.
The early release plan would be reviewed in 18 months’ time, Mahmood said. Asked how many would be freed, she said the figure was in the “low thousands” in the short term.
Chief of prisons claims Labour plan could lead to ‘early release of risky offenders’
16:14
Salma Ouaguira
Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has claimed a decision to tackle the overcrowded prisons crisis “needed to be taken and none would have been without risk”.
Responding to the emergency plan to release prisoners early, Ms Taylor said in a statement: “This is a critical point for prisons, with barely any places left and the effects of existing measures such as ECSL (End of Custody Supervised Licence) being exhausted.
“While we therefore welcome recognition of the seriousness of the situation, and swift action to manage the prison populations to relieve the immediate strain many jails are under, this latest measure will inevitably lead to the early release of some risky offenders, and will add to the workload of already stretched prison OMUs and probation services.
“How these men are prepared for release and how prisons and probation are supported in managing them will be vital.
“We will be watching this very closely as well as any plans that are developed once the immediate pressure is relieved that seek to make prisons places of genuine purpose, help people to break the cycle of reoffending and protect the public from future harm.”
Responding to emergency measures to release prisoners early, @charlie_taylor6 said: pic.twitter.com/4lG59VgAcd
— HMI Prisons (@HMIPrisonsnews) July 12, 2024
Labour’s Wes Streeting to ban puberty blockers permanently
16:06
Salma Ouaguira
Wes Streeting has suggested a ban on puberty blockers could be made permanent, The Telegraph reports.
The health secretary could be taking a harder stance on transgender issues and extend the ban on the NHS prescriptions.
The medication, which is used by those under the age of 18 to halt elements of physical puberty, was put under an emergency ban after the publication of the Cass Report.
The ban will last until 3 September, but Mr Streeting could seek to pass a law to make it permanent.
It comes as the published Cass Review by Dr Hilary Cass into children’s gender services in the NHS said children have been let down by a lack of research and evidence on the use of puberty blockers and hormones.
Voters: Five years of Tories ‘terrible, rubbish and in shambles’
16:04
Salma Ouaguira
Polling company Omnisis have published a survey with wordcloud of the words voters would use to describe the last five years of the Conservative government.
Probation chief raises concerns about released prisoners’ risk to public
15:55
Salma Ouaguira
Chief inspector of probation Martin Jones questioned whether there is “enough time” to get probation processes “right” ahead of the early release of some prisoners under Government plans.
He told Times Radio: “The probation service has a caseload nearly three times the number of those in prison.
“Now, they need to ensure that they identify the risk that those people represent and that they identify what their needs are when they leave prison. Do they have accommodation? Do they have jobs to go to? Do they have, for example, drugs and mental health support in the community?
“Now, my concern is, is there enough time to get that right, to ensure they get the right information and that they can then deal with those people effectively when they leave prison.
“Our recent inspection programme has found that there’s some real problems at the front line with the probation service at the moment, particularly in relation to staffing. Some areas that we inspect have fewer than 50% of the probation officers they need. So how are they going to have the capacity to ensure that they safeguard the public when they’re being released from custody?”
Suella Braverman blasts Labour’s early release prison plan
15:45
Salma Ouaguira
Former home secretary Suella Braverman has accused Labour of copying the Tories with its plan to tackle overcrowding with the early release scheme.
The Tory right-winger said she and her MP colleagues had managed “to stop the government doing it”.
She tweeted: “Labour is picking up Tory ideas & putting the public at risk.”
She added: “Everyone and his mother should run to be leader. But we’ve all got to start taking responsibility for what we did. And for the things we shamefully left undone. Such as not building enough prisons.”
Everyone and his mother should run to be leader.
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) July 12, 2024
But we’ve all got to start taking responsibility for what we did. And for the things we shamefully left undone.
Such as not building enough prisons.
New Reform deputy leader Richard Tice out and about in Skegness
15:40
Salma Ouaguira
The newly appointed Reform deputy leader Richard Tice has been out and about in his constituency.
The MP for Boston and Skegness has been pictured with local councillors after Ben Habib was sacked from the role.
Delighted to meet Lincs Cty Cllr @ColinDavie1 to discuss significant common grd on flooding protection, sea level defences, stopping the pylons in Boston & Skegness pic.twitter.com/pLWVaTaxEe
— Richard Tice MP (@TiceRichard) July 12, 2024
Food bank launches campaign to end subsidised ‘fine dining’ for MPs
15:34
Salma Ouaguira
The largest food bank in Westminster, home of the Houses of Parliament, has called for an end to subsidised “fine dining” for MPs, suggesting funds be redirected to combating poverty.
The North Paddington food bank (NPFB) has launched the campaign “No Food in The House” urging Parliament to use the millions spent on subsidised catering for MPs to tackle food insecurity across the country.
Politicians could enjoy a full three-course meal for as little as £10.41 last year, according to the charity, costing the taxpayer a reported £7million a year.
Catering services in the Houses of Parliament run at a loss, so public money is effectively spent bankrolling politicians’ lunches.
As well as MPs, there are around there are 14,000 parliamentary pass-holding staff who can eat and drink in parliament’s bars and restaurants.
Our reporter Jabed Ahmed has the full story:
Victims’ commissioner welcomes plans to exclude domestic abusers and stalkers from early release
15:32
Salma Ouaguira
Baroness Newlove, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, said the decision to exclude domestic abusers and stalkers from the prison early release measure “is a welcome and necessary step, reflecting the concerns raised by victims and those who advocate for them”.
In a statement, she said: “Public safety must remain the top priority as these changes are implemented. We must acknowledge these exclusions have limitations and cannot address every potential risk.
“Clear communication with victims is essential to building trust throughout the process. It is important victims are informed if release dates are brought forward and are given the opportunity to request protective measures. Thorough risk assessments are essential, as are robust release plans.”
The said the probation service “plays a critical role” in this and “must be properly resourced to effectively manage licensing conditions and exclusion zones, which are vital for public safety and victim reassurance”.
Transparency and rigorous oversight are “crucial to ensure this new regime effectively prioritises victim safety while putting our justice system on a more sustainable footing”, she added.
Labour will drive ‘disappointed’ Scots to independence, claims defeated MP
15:10
Jabed Ahmed
A Labour Government will disappoint Scots and push them to supporting independence, an ousted MP has claimed.
Tommy Sheppard was among the wave of SNP MPs ousted at last week’s election, losing his Edinburgh East and Musselburgh seat to Labour and sparking what he said has to be a “time of reflection” for the party.
But despite the SNP dropping to just nine seats at Westminster – down from 48 at the last election – Mr Sheppard assured voters “we will be back”.
“For the SNP comes a time of reflection on what has been our worst result for 14 years,” he wrote.
“A very, very bad result. But we will learn from the experience.
“We will regroup and redeploy in the service of our country. We will do better, and we will be back.”
Jeremy Corbyn brands Labour’s victory ‘loveless landslide’
15:00
Salma Ouaguira
The former Labour leader has branded Sir Keir Starmer’s victory in the general election a “loveless landslide”.
Writing on The Guardian, the independent Mp for Islington North said the election result was a reflection of voters’ discontent with the Tories and Labour.
Mr Corbyn wrote: “The general election did not allow for the full expression of people power. Rather, we saw a rejection of the political establishment, leading to a loveless landslide; this election saw the second-lowest turnout since 1918 and the smallest combined vote share for the two main parties since 1945. Public discontent with a broken political system will only grow as the government fails to make the real change that people expect.”
He added: “That energy needs somewhere to go. It needs to be channelled. It needs to be mobilised. That’s why our campaign will organise with those who have been inspired by our victory to build community power in every corner of the country. Once our grassroots model has been replicated elsewhere, this can be the genesis of a new movement capable of challenging the stale two-party system.
“A movement that offers a real alternative to child poverty, inequality and endless war. A movement that provides a real opposition to the far right – one that doesn’t concede ground to divisive rhetoric, but stands by its principles of anti-racism, equality and inclusion.”
Cleverly jokingly dispels rumour – by admitting he is a Warhammer fan
14:50
Salma Ouaguira
Shabana Mahmood : Tories have left a ticking time-bomb behind
14:40
Salma Ouaguira
The justice secretary has described the state of prisons left by the Tory government as a “ticking bomb” of a “total breakdown of law and order”.
Speaking from HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire, she said: “The last government left us with a time-bomb, ticking away. So let me explain what happens if that bomb goes off. Soon, the courts would grind to a halt, unable to hold trials. The police would have to stop carrying out arrests. With officers unable to act, criminals could do whatever they want, without consequence.
“We could see looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight. In short, if we fail to act now, we face the collapse of the criminal justice system. And a total breakdown of law and order. This is not the plot of some dystopian film. This is the legacy of the last Conservative Government. This is the legacy of the guilty men.”
Justice secretary: ‘Sunak and his gang in Number Ten are guilty men’
14:35
Salma Ouaguira
Labour’s justice secretary has branded Rishi Sunak’s cabinet the “guilty men” behind the state of overcrowded prisons.
In a bruising speech, Shabana Mahmood said: “Those responsible – Sunak and his gang in Number Ten – should go down in history as the guilty men. The guilty men who put their political careers ahead of the safety and security of our country. It was the most disgraceful dereliction of duty I have ever known.”
Hitting out at the former prime minister, she said: “We now know that the former Lord Chancellor tried to address this challenge. He tried to warn the then prime minister. But, instead of taking responsibility, Rishi Sunak called an election. He tried to hoodwink the electorate. And he was punished at the ballot box.”
Ms Mahmood accused the Tories of putting “their political careers ahead of the safety and security of our country”.
She added: “Time and again, they ducked the difficult decisions that could have addressed this challenge. Instead, they kept the public in the dark about the state they had left this country in. They were too weak to heed the warning signs that were flashing. They chose instead to put the country at risk.”
Labour set out emergency plans to tackle collapsing prisons
14:32
Salma Ouaguira
Thousands of prisoners are to be released earlier than planned as the government attempts to avert the “collapse” of the prisons system.
The plans set out by Ms Mahmood would see a temporary reduction in the proportion of their sentence many prisoners must serve in jail from 50 per cent to 44 per cent.
This would not apply to violent offenders serving more than four years, sex offenders or those in prison for crimes connected to domestic abuse. Dangerous offenders serving extended or life sentences would also be exempted from the scheme.
The change is expected to come into force in September, with the Justice Secretary also announcing the recruitment of 1,000 additional trainee probation officers by March and an end to the previous government’s early release scheme, which saw 10,000 prisoners released up to 70 days early.
Ms Mahmood said there was now “only one way to avert disaster”, adding that the measures would “give us the time we need to address the prisons crisis”.
Shabana Mahmood warns overcrowding crisis could see ‘total breakdown of law and order'
14:30
Salma Ouaguira
The Labour justice secretary has unveiled new plans to tackle the overcrowding crisis that has engulfed jails across the country.
In a speech at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire, Ms Mahmood said failing to ease pressure on prisons could cause a “total breakdown of law and order”.
She said: “When prisons are full, violence rises – putting prison officers on the front line at risk. When no cells are available, suspects cannot be held in custody. This means vanloads of dangerous people circling the country, with nowhere to go.
“The police would have to use their cells as a prison overflow, keeping officers off the streets. Soon, the courts would grind to a halt, unable to hold trials.
“With officers unable to act, criminals could do whatever they want, without consequence. We could see looters running amok, smashing in windows, robbing shops and setting neighbourhoods alight.
“In short, if we fail to act now, we face the collapse of the criminal justice system. And a total breakdown of law and order.”
Exclusive: The real reason Rishi Sunak held his disastrous snap election
14:24
Jabed Ahmed
The prospect of hundreds of thousands of voters suffering a steep rise in their mortgage bills drove Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap general election.
Read the full report from our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin:
Labour to permanently ban puberty blockers
15:28
Salma Ouaguira
Wes Streeting is planning to make the ban on puberty blockers permanent as Labour takes a harder stance on transgender issues.
The medication, which is used by under 18s to halt elements of physical puberty, has been in force since the publication of the Cass Report banning its use until 3 September.
But the health secretary has suggested the ban could be made permanent under the new Labour government.
It comes as the former health secretary overruled officials and acted on her “personal views” of a review into gender services when she used emergency legislation to ban puberty blockers, the High Court has been told.
Campaign group TransActual, and a young person who cannot be named, are making a bid to challenge the decision of now-shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins to impose a so-called “banning order” on puberty blockers, which suppress the natural production of sex hormones to delay puberty.
Tories accused of leaving ‘toxic legacy behind with overcrowding prison crisis
14:04
Salma Ouaguira
George Georgiou, national officer for the GMB Union, has said the overcrowding crisis in prisons is a “toxic legacy” from the last Tory government.
He said: “GMB is clear: probation workers need better pay and conditions. This need is magnified as they deal with the overcrowding chaos – another toxic legacy of the Tory government.
“The Justice Secretary was very receptive and seems to grasp things have got to change if we want a prison service that’s fit for purpose.”
Nigel Farage to restart GB News show next week after election win
13:47
Salma Ouaguira
Refugee campaigners urge Starmer to set out ‘safe routes’ for asylum seekers
13:33
Salma Ouaguira
Campaigners have urged Sir Keir Starmer to set out “safe routes” to allow asylum seekers into the UK after the death of four people attempting to cross the channel.
Steve Smith, CEO of Care4Calais said: “It is deeply upsetting that more lives have been lost in the English Channel this morning. Our immediate thoughts go to the victims and their families.
“Every life lost in the Channel is avoidable, and politicians have the power to end these tragedies. Channel crossings are fuelled by a lack of safe routes to claim asylum in the UK, and as a refugee charity that operates in both northern France and the UK we know the only way to stop crossings and save lives is to open safe routes.
“I hope the new government acts, creates safe routes and saves lives.”
Exclusive: Starmer has no option but to reduce prisoner sentences or risk justice system collapse, unions warn
13:23
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer’s new government has “no other alternative” but to release prisoners 40 per cent of the way into their sentence to ease the overcrowding crisis behind bars and avert the collapse of the criminal justice system, unions have warned.
The new justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is expected to announce such measures, with exemptions for more serious offenders, after Sir Keir described his shock at the extent of the mess he has inherited from the Conservative government.
Rishi Sunak’s administration is understood to have drawn up similar plans before abandoning them prior to calling the general election in June. He had already been forced to release prisoners progressively earlier since October, reaching up to 70 days early in May.
Describing the bringing forward individual prisoners’ release dates as having caused “absolute mayhem” for the probation service, Napo union chief Ian Lawrence said he hopes the new move of a more blanket recalculation of sentences will ease some of the pressure.
Our reporter Andy Gregory has the full story:
Ex-justice secretary warns Labour not to release domestic abusers and stalkers
13:15
Salma Ouaguira
As we wait for Shabana Mahmood to announce her emergency plan to tackle overcrowded prisons, former Tory minister Robert Buckland has warned Labour against releasing high risk prisoners.
Mr Buckland said the Tories created only 6,000 of the 20,000 new places promised and the prison building programme “which I started with Rishi Sunak is coming forward, but not at a pace that is quick enough I think to meet demand”.
He told Sky News: “My advice to the new justice secretary – and I wish her well, she’s just come into post – is to make sure that we aren’t releasing people who could pose a risk, particularly domestic abusers, stalkers, those types of offenders. I think it would be wholly inappropriate to release them.
“I think we do need to be absolutely iron on our commitment to protect the public. And the new government would be best advised to make that clear from the outset. Because sending mixed messages about punishment is not a good way, frankly, to start a penal policy when you’ve just taken office.
Labour’s prisoner release plan a ‘dangerous gamble’, warns aunt of murdered Zara Aleena
13:06
Salma Ouaguira
Labour’s plans to release thousands of prisoners early is a “dangerous gamble with public safety”, the aunt of Zara Aleena has said.
Farah Naz, whose niece was murdered by a man who had been out of prison on licence for nine days, warned of the potential consequences if the probation service was unable to cope.
She said that in the case of Ms Aleena’s killer Jordan McSweeney, the probation service was “not fit to deliver supervision” or “act in a timely way” when he broke his licence conditions.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story:
Number of early prisoner releases under Tory government revealed
12:56
Salma Ouaguira
Over 10,000 prisoners were freed up to 70 days early under the Tories to tackle the jail overcrowding crisis.
The Ministry of Justice’s figures revealed that 10,083 people were released between 18 days and 70 under the previous government’s scheme as of the end of June.
The number is greater than expected as Rishi Sunak attempted to prevent prisons running out of spaces.
Sir Keir Starmer said the scale of the problem was “worse than I thought” and showed “gross irresponsibility” from Mr Sunak’s Tory government.
A senior prison source said: “We have been running at over 99% occupancy for the best part of two years.
“That puts huge pressure on our ability to reduce re-offending, to deliver purposeful activity, and obviously on our staff. It definitely exacerbates issues like safety in terms of violence, it makes the estate much more tricky for us to run.
“We’re very vulnerable to shocks in the estate. That can be big, high-profile shocks, like the 2011 civil disorder, like a prison riot or it could actually be much more mundane things like an outbreak of bedbugs that would require us to close the wing, and fumigate it for two or three weeks.”
Watch: Tory MP blasts own party and reveals biggest downfall in Question Time rant
12:48
Salma Ouaguira
Labour: Tories triggered early election because ‘things were even worse than they were letting on’
12:38
Salma Ouaguira
Labour’s Pat McFadden has claimed the Rishi Sunak triggered the general election early because he knew issues like prison overcrowding “were even worse than they were letting on”.
Asked about the prison crisis, he told the BBC’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast: “This isn’t a question of policy, this is a question of legacy and necessity. I have never been quite sure why the election was called in July, I don’t think we had a satisfactory answer to that during the campaign.
“But when you take that prisons issue and the awful decisions facing the new Secretary of State [Shabana Mahmood], the new Lord Chancellor, and the new Ministry of Justice head when she came in, and other things too, I think we are beginning to discover why the election was called and it certainly wasn’t because the plan was working but was because the Conservatives knew that things were even worse than they were letting on.”
Home minister to make decision on crossbow laws ‘soon’
12:30
Salma Ouaguira
Dan Jarvis said the home secretary is set to make a decision on whether to change laws around crossbows after Bushey triple murder. Under current laws, everyone over the age of 18 can own or buy one.
Mr Jarvis told Sky News: “I know that the home secretary is seized by the importance of all of this, but she’s got to consider these matters in the round,” he said.
“She will take a view as to whether there is a requirement to meet legislative changes. And I know that she will do that incredibly thoroughly.”
He added: “We will not stop at anything to ensure that the public is safe.”
Tom Tugendhat slams Labour’s early release plan
12:23
