David Lammy found himself in hot water during a live television broadcast today, confronting accusations of “bullsh**” amid escalating criticism over mishandled prisoner releases.
The Justice Secretary is under intense scrutiny following his evasive responses to questions about these errors in the House of Commons yesterday.
Shortly afterward, it was revealed that yet another foreign inmate had been mistakenly released from Wandsworth Prison.
Reports suggest that Mr. Lammy’s advisers warned him that agreeing to return to Parliament to address the issue could jeopardize his political career.
During an appearance on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick did not mince words regarding Mr. Lammy’s attempts to avoid direct accountability.
Jenrick dismissed Lammy’s assertions that the situation was still under investigation as “bullsh**,” prompting host Kate Garraway to issue an apology to the audience.
Justice Secretary David Lammy is struggling to contain a mounting backlash after stonewalling repeated questions about bungles in the Commons yesterday
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Tory shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick gave a blunt assessment of Mr Lammy’s excuses for dodging direct challenges
Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth on October 29. He is seen here on police bodycam footage during his arrest in August
Police were also searching for another inmate, Billy Smith, 35, accidentally released from the same south-west London prison on Monday. However, he handed himself in this morning
‘Well it’s very early in the morning and your viewers are still having their breakfast but that I’m afraid – if you excuse my language – is total b******t.’
Police are trying to track down Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth on October 29.
They were also searching for another inmate, Billy Smith, 35, accidentally released from the same south-west London prison on Monday.
However, he handed himself in this morning.
The Government had already promised the ‘strongest checks ever’, and an independent investigation led by Dame Lynne Owens in the wake of last month’s blunder which saw Epping hotel migrant Hadush Kebatu accidentally released.
Mr Lammy is understood to have been briefed about the case on Tuesday night, but apparently did not want to pre-empt a statement from the Met Police.
He was filling in at PMQs for Keir Starmer, who is attending the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones was sent out to face media questions this morning. Mr Lammy cannot be brought to the Commons before Tuesday now due to a recess.
Asked about Mr Lammy’s suggestion that he had been shopping for a suit before PMQs yesterday, Ms Davies-Jones told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘He wasn’t out on Oxford Street shopping for a new suit.’
‘He was preparing for Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions. He was preparing to stand in for the Prime Minister, the first ever black person to do so,’ she added.
Further pressed on the issue, Ms Davies-Jones said: ‘He cracked a joke because his poppy had fallen off this suit, which he also addressed during the Deputy Prime Minister’s Questions.
‘I don’t think it’s appropriate to get into the weeds of if he was shopping or not in the morning.’
A manhunt has been launched for an Algerian prisoner who was released by mistake from Wandsworth prison (file photo)
Ms Davies-Jones also said a review led by Dame Lynne Owens in the wake of last month’s blunder which saw Epping hotel migrant Hadush Kebatu accidentally released will report back ‘in the next few weeks’.
Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), said there are an average of 22 prison releases in error every month.
He told BBC Breakfast: ‘The leaders of this service have known about this for over 12 months, but only now it’s in the spotlight. Are they doing something to remedy it?
‘The POA have asked for a royal commission, because we realise that the entire criminal justice system at this moment in time is in complete meltdown.
‘It’s not just prisons. It’s probation, it’s the court, it’s the police. And we want a royal commission to discover not just what’s gone wrong, but more importantly put it right.’
