David Lammy has acknowledged that he lacked complete information regarding the mistaken release of a prisoner when he avoided answering questions during Prime Minister’s Questions.
As the Deputy PM filling in for Keir Starmer, Lammy defended his decision not to provide more details to MPs to avoid potentially misinforming the House of Commons and the public due to incomplete information.
During a recent exchange, Lammy, also serving as the Justice Secretary, expressed frustration when questioned about further mistaken releases of asylum seekers following the release of Hadush Kebatu. However, it was later revealed that another prisoner, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a registered sex offender, had been wrongfully released from HMP Wandsworth, raising concerns about Lammy’s knowledge of the situation.
Kaddour-Cherif was not an asylum seeker, which differed from the inquiries made by Tory James Cartlidge. The Ministry of Justice clarified that details were still unfolding when Lammy attended PMQs, including the offender’s immigration status.
In response to the PMQs incident, Lammy explained that he had only learned about the situation on Wednesday morning while at the department preparing for the session. He emphasized the importance of having all the necessary information before updating the House and the public on such serious matters to avoid misleading them.
Subsequent to the revelation of Kaddour-Cherif’s release error, another case involving the mistaken release of William “Billy” Smith, a fraudster, was reported due to a court error rather than a prison service issue.
Lammy, who took on the role of Justice Secretary in September, admitted that the Labour Party faces significant challenges in addressing the prisons crisis. He highlighted the necessity to reduce the rate of release errors in the paper-based system plagued by human errors, acknowledging the longstanding issues within the prison system that require urgent attention.