Justice Secretary David Lammy has defended his decision not to inform MPs about the accidental release of an Algerian sex offender.
Mr Lammy, who was standing in for Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, said he was “right” not to provide details to MPs of the accidental release of Ibrahim Kaddour-Cherif after being grilled by Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge.
In his first public appearance since the news broke on Wednesday of two accidental releases from HMP Wandsworth, Mr Lammy said: “I first found out about this on Wednesday morning, I was in the department both learning from officials but also preparing for Prime Minister’s Questions.
“At the despatch box, I did not have all of the detail, that detail was actually released just later after I had finished at Prime Minister’s Questions.
“I took the judgement that it is important when updating the House and the country about serious matters like this that you have all of the detail.
"I was not equipped with all of the detail and the danger is you that end up misleading the House and the general public. So that is the judgement I took. I think it’s the right judgement."
However, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has accused Mr Lammy of having chosen to “hide and conceal” the situation from the Commons.
He said: “I’m sorry but that’s a dereliction of duty. He now needs to put in place the checks that are necessary because the more serious point here is that the public are being endangered yet again.”
PM defends David Lammy over his handling of mistaken prisoner release
Sir Keir Starmer said Labour have to 'roll up our sleeves' and tackle the 'huge burden on the prison service'
|PA
Sir Keir Starmer has defended his deputy David Lammy over his handling of a mistaken prisoner release by saying it was "right" the Justice Secretary was "setting out the facts to the best of his knowledge".
Mr Lammy on Thursday said Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif was mistakenly released before new checks were implemented, although he told the Commons last Monday those checks were effective immediately, two days before the wrongful release.
Asked whether Mr Lammy was telling the truth on Monday or in his latest comments, the Prime Minister said: "David Lammy can speak for himself on that.
"And I’m absolutely clear that he’s setting out the facts to the best of his knowledge, and that’s the right thing for him to do.
"But whatever the checks, it’s intolerable. So we have to make sure that whatever changes are needed are made, and that’s why calling in the governors is really important.
"Looking for technology that we need is really important.
"Yes, there’s a huge burden on the prison service because of the failures of the last government, but we’ve now got to pick this up, roll up our sleeves."
Lisa Nandy issues grovelling apology after breaking governance code by appointing Labour donor as football regulator chief
Lisa Nandy has been forced to apologise to Sir Keir Starmer after appointing a Labour donor as chair of the independent football regulator.
Ms Nandy, who sent a letter to the Prime Minister today, was found to have inadvertently broken the rules by appointing David Kogan to the role.
Mr Kogan had been appointed to the role in May, just a couple of years after donating directly to Ms Nandy's 2020 leadership campaign.
In a 552-word letter to Sir Keir, which was also sent to the Culture Select Committee chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage, Ms Nandy wrote: "The Commissioner’s conclusions include a finding that I unknowingly breached an aspect of the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
"I deeply regret this error. I appreciate the perception it could create, but it was not deliberate and I apologise for it."
Prince William caught in awkward moment with Keir Starmer in 'forced three-way handshake'
The trio held the handshake in front of the world's press | PAThe Prince of Wales has been snapped exchanging an awkward three-way handshake with Sir Keir Starmer and the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
As the trio emerged in front of the press, Prince William and Lula swapped positions for the handshake.
The Prime Minister appeared to be dragged into the mix by the Brazilian President, who then grabbed William's hand, placing it in a mixed-up three-way handshake.
PM doubles-down on net zero pledge after admitting 'consensus is gone'
Keir Starmer doubled down on his net zero pledge
|PA
Sir Keir Starmer challenged sceptics with a promise to double down on net zero as he admitted the "consensus is gone" on climate change in a speech at the UN’s Cop30 summit.
The Prime Minister staunchly defended his Government’s clean energy agenda but conceded that cross-party unity on "science that is unequivocal" has splintered both in Britain and globally.
Speaking at the international climate conference in Belem, Brazil’s city gateway to the Amazon, Sir Keir sought to make the economic case for net zero, arguing the green transition would create jobs and ultimately lower household bills.
He said: "10 years ago, the world came together in Paris … united in our determination to tackle the climate crisis.
"A consensus based on science that is unequivocal, and this unity was not just international – it was there within most of our countries too.
"There was cross-party consensus in the UK. The only question was how fast we could go. Today, however, sadly that consensus is gone."
He described green policies as a "win-win" despite pressure from Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Britain’s net zero agenda and who, along with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, has not attended the summit.
Reform may face legal action after Kent councillors booted from party over conduct
A former Reform UK councillor has announced he is considering legal action against the party for defamation of his character following his removal.
Last month, Councillor Robert Ford was removed from Reform UK following unofficial complaints from female members of staff.
Today, he said: “I’m currently taking legal advice regarding the defamation of my character by Reform UK at KCC that occurred on October 13 and I intend in the coming months to pursue this with vigour.”
Mr Ford claimed the allegations related to an “erotic novel” he had published and not mentioned to KCC.
Earlier today, a fellow former Reform Kent Councillor, Isabella Kemp, who represents Sheppey on KCC, was suspended from the party.
Kemi Badenoch hits out at ‘embarrassing’ David Lammy as she addresses prison scandal
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch has laid the blame for the recent mistaken release of three high-profile prisoners at the Labour Government’s door.
“We know that mistakes happen from time to time. What we have seen now is an explosion in accidental prisoner releases, many of them foreign criminals, many of them sex offenders.
“This should not be happening,” the Tory leader said.
“We know that there will always be times when mistakes occur, but the scale at which it is happening is causing real worry, and what we saw yesterday with David Lammy unable to answer very simple questions was an embarrassment.
"He’s going to have certainly a lot more questions to answer once Parliament is back sitting on Tuesday," she said.
Senior Labour MP admits Government must ‘take responsibility’ for prison crisis
Andy Slaughter, chairman of the Commons justice committee and Labour MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick, has said the Government must “take responsibility” for the recent accidental releases of prisoners.
“The Government has to take responsibility, the Labour Government going forward. I think if you’re looking at how we’ve got here, you’re talking about years if not decades,” he said.
“And it’s not one issue, it’s an accumulation of issues.
“I think once the immediate crisis is over, we need to reflect on what’s happened here, because the reality is that the system is in crisis, and we’ve really known that,” he told Sky News.
Lib Dems say Government has ‘serious questions to answer’ over prison release errors
Liberal Democrat MP for Woking, William Forster, has criticised the Labour Government for a series of high-profile accidental releases of prisoners.
Will Smith, a 35-year-old fraudster from Woking, handed himself back into HMP Wandsworth today after being mistakenly freed.
“Our prisons shouldn’t be relying on an honours system of wrongfully released people handing themselves back into prison,” the MP wrote in an X post.
“I am dismayed that despite reaching out to the Ministry of Justice yesterday, I still haven’t received any briefing from the department about the ongoing situation.
“The Government still has serious questions to answer - they need to explain why he was wrongly released in the first place and rebuild the public’s confidence in our broken justice system,” he added.
Mel Stride says ‘ordinary people are paying the price’ as interest rates held
Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has hit out at Labour's handling of the economy after the Bank of England announced interest rates would be held at four per cent.
“Interest rates are staying higher for longer because Rachel Reeves does not have a plan or a backbone,” he said in an X post reacting to the news.
“With inflation running at almost double the target rate, families are facing rising prices in the shops. The UK has the highest inflation in the G7 thanks to Rachel Reeves Jobs Tax and reckless borrowing spree. And yet she is once again preparing to hike taxes, leaving us trapped in a doom-loop.
“Ordinary people are paying the price because Labour cannot reduce spending. Only the Conservatives have the team and the plan to deliver a stronger economy,” Mr Stride said.
David Lammy reacts to William Smith turning himself in
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has reacted to William Smith handing himself back into HMP Wandsworth following his accidental release.
"William Smith is back in custody," Mr Lammy began in an X post.
"The spike in mistaken releases is unacceptable. We're modernising prison systems - replacing paper with digital tools to cut errors.
"We're working with police to recapture Brahim Kaddour-Cherif," he added.
Mistakenly freed prisoner hands himself in
William Smith has handed himself in to the police after being mistakenly released
|SURREY POLICE
William Smith, the fraudster who was mistakenly released from jail this week, has handed himself back into HMP Wandsworth in south-west London.
The 35-year-old had been sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences at Croydon Crown Court on Monday, but was then accidentally freed from prison.
Surrey Police said: "We are cancelling our appeal to help find wanted 35-year-old William Smith who was released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Monday, 3 November.
"Smith handed himself in to HMP Wandsworth today," the force added.
Ibrahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, the Algerian sex offender released from HMP Wandsworth by mistake a week last Wednesday remains at large.
Number of mistakenly released prisoners more than doubled this year
The number of prisoners “released in error” from prison more than doubled in the year 2024/25.
Some 262 prisoners were released accidentally in the year ending in March, an increase over the 115 freed in 2023/24.
It amounted to a striking 128 per cent rise, according to new Ministry of Justice data.
It comes as Justice Minister David Lammy faces intense scrutiny for the high-profile release of three prisoners in recent weeks.
Reform MP suspend Kent councillor hours before meeting
Reform UK has suspended Isabella Kemp, a councillor who represents Sheppey on Kent County Council (KCC).
The decision was taken just hours ahead of a full council meeting.
Ms Kemp will now sit as an independent.
Nigel Farage’s Reform won 57 of the 81 seats at KCC to take control of the authority in May, overturning a 30-year Tory majority.
David Lammy REFUSED Commons grilling on accidental prisoner release due to ‘career suicide’ fears
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy shirked issuing a statement to the Commons on the release of a second migrant criminal due to fears it would be “career suicide”.
Mr Lammy is understood to have had a statement prepared to deliver from the dispatch box upon the breaking of the box, but decided against it, allies have suggested.
The insiders suggest he was concerned about pre-empting a statement from the Metropolitan Police on the matter, per The Times.
'I share the fury!' Minister defends Labours justice record amid 'unacceptable' chaos: 'I can't wave a magic wand and fix it!'
'I share the fury!' Minister defends Labours justice record amid 'unacceptable' chaos: 'I can't wave a magic wand and fix it!'
Referrals to Prevent scheme skyrocket over previous year
Worrying new figures have revealed that referrals to the Government's anti-extremism scheme, Prevent, have skyrocketed since 2024.
The Home Office confirmed that a record of 8,778 referrals of individuals were made in 2024/25.
It represented a 27 per cent rise on the previous year, according to the new data.
Ellie Costello rips into Robert Jenrick for prisoner release: 'This happened under your watch too!'
GB News's Ellie Costello rips into Robert Jenrick for prisoner release: 'This happened under your watch too!'
Robert Jenrick blasts ‘total and utter shambles’ after foreign criminals accidentally released
Robert Jenrick blasts ‘total and utter shambles’ after foreign criminals accidentally released
|GETTY
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has blasted David Lammy and the Labour government after it emerged two more criminals had been released from prison accidentally.
“This is a total and utter shambles,” he told GB News, hitting out at the “third time in two weeks” the serious error had occurred.
“And now you’ve got the Metropolitan Police and Surrey Police wasting valuable resources on manhunts because of massive failures by David Lammy and the Ministry of Justice,” Mr Jenrick told The People’s Channel.
David Lammy ‘outraged and appalled’ over second foreign criminal mistakenly released
Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has said he was “absolutely outraged and appalled by the mistaken release of a foreign criminal wanted by the police”.
He confirmed that “officials have been working through the night to take him back to prison”.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that police have launched a manhunt after a 24-year-old Algerian national was accidentally freed from HMP Wandsworth in south-west London on October 29.
The prisoner's mistaken release came just five days after Hadush Kebatu was wrongfully freed from HMP Chelmsford, sparking a two-day manhunt.
GB News has learned from the Ministry of Justice that Mr Lammy had been informed about the serious error overnight.
Sources have suggested he had avoided sharing details as information was still emerging about the “complicated” case involving multiple agencies.
Rachel Reeves told to slash tax hikes before next election if she breaks manifesto pledge
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned that any tax hikes must soon be rescinded if she breaks a key Labour manifesto promise and further increases the tax burden on Britons.
On Tuesday, Ms Reeves opened the door to potential tax rises in a speech where she pledged to make “the choices necessary to deliver strong foundations for the economy” in response to an environment that had “thrown more challenges our way”.
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) said: “If the Chancellor opts for a larger revenue-raising step – particularly a manifesto-breaching increase in income tax or value-added tax (VAT) – she should make clear that it is temporary and conditional: a short-term measure to stabilise the public finances, not a permanent shift in direction.”
In their advice, the think tank told Ms Reeves that she must pair any tax rises must be linked with growth-promoting, pro-business reforms.
They then suggest the Chancellor should switch to “targeted tax cuts” ahead of the next election, “once growth strengthens and public service reforms deliver results”.
The institute also suggests reforms to immigration could risk damaging the UK’s flexible jobs market, urging ministers to keep the five-year route to permanent settlement for the skilled worker visa.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News