David Lammy must quit if he cannot these three basic questions! | Politics | News
David Lammy should step down as Justice Secretary if he cannot answer “fundamental questions” about the prisoner release scandal, Robert Jenrick has declared.
The Deputy Prime Minister will appear before MPs tomorrow for the first time since his incompetent performance at Prime Minister’s Questions last Wednesday sparked a new crisis of confidence in the justice system.
And in a rare move, Shadow Justice Secretary Mr Jenrick sent his questions to Mr Lammy ahead of the Parliamentary showdown in a bid to force direct answers.
He wrote to Mr Lammy: “Tomorrow in Parliament I will once again ask the fundamental questions to which a competent Lord Chancellor would know the answers:
– How many prisoners have been released by mistake since April 1, 2025?
– How many prisoners who were accidentally released are still at large?
– Who was accidentally released and how many were violent or sexual offenders?
“This is an extremely serious matter. If you refuse again, or provide this information despite my many requests and advance warning, the only conclusion left is that you are incapable of telling the truth.”
“In this case, you have to make way for someone to do it.”
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a serial offender accused of theft, assault and indecent exposure, was released from HMP Wandsworth because a court order for his detention was sent to the wrong prison, HMP Pentonville.
But details of Kaddour-Cherif’s release only emerged after Mr Lammy repeatedly dodged questions about whether an “asylum seeker” had been allowed out.
Algerian sex offender was living illegally in the UK after his visa expired; but the Justice Secretary is understood to have used specific details about whether he was an asylum seeker to avoid answering questions in the House of Commons.
It comes after migrant Hadush Kebatu, the victim of a sex attack in Epping, was released from HMP Chelmsford rather than being sent to an immigration detention center for deportation.
Fraudster William Smith was also mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth.
And three convicts are now understood to be on the run after being bungled for release.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “These cases reflect the nature and scale of the prison crisis this Government has inherited.
“We have made it clear that there is no overnight solution.
“That’s why we’re building 14,000 more prison places and sending technologists to modernize the system and provide immediate support to staff.”
And the extent of the justice crisis was revealed when the Government admitted that a prisoner feared missing was mistakenly not released.
Three prisoners who were mistakenly released are understood to be at large and the Prime Minister’s spokesman has called on the public to assist police in their investigations.
He told reporters: “The remaining three are subject to live police investigations.
“Of course I am limited to what I can say, but we would expressly appeal to anyone with any information to contact the police.”
Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was arrested on Friday following a police search following his release from a south-west London prison on October 29, and Scotland Yard said officers were only informed about it on Tuesday.
Kaddour-Cherif was serving a sentence for trespassing with intent to steal, but had previously been convicted of indecent exposure.
It is understood his visitor visa to the UK expired after arriving in 2019 and he is in the process of being deported.
Another prisoner, Billy Smith, 35, was also accidentally released from Wandsworth on Monday after being sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offenses and handed himself back in on Thursday.
Justice Secretary David Lammy admitted on Friday there was a “mountain to climb” to tackle the crisis in the prison system.
Stronger security checks for prisons have been announced and an independent investigation has been launched into faulty releases after a now-deported Ethiopian national was accidentally released from HMP Chelmsford on 24 October.
Some 262 prisoners were mistakenly released in the year to March 2025, up 128% from 115 in the 12 months to March 2025, according to the government’s latest figures.
In total, 90 of the wrongful releases belonged to violent or sexual offenders.
