Lammy Defends Himself Amid Fallout Over Accidental Prisoner Release

Deputy prime minister David Lammy is in the spotlight after the accidental release of yet another prisoner.David Lammy has admitted he was “not equipped” with all of the details around the latest accidental release of another prisoner when he was asked about it in the Commons on Wednesday.The deputy prime minister is facing backlash after repeatedly dodging questions from Tory frontbencher James Cartlidge on Wednesday over whether or not any more asylum seekers released from prisons over the last fortnight.It comes after migrant sex offender Hadush Kebatu was accidentally set free at the end of October, sparking nationwide outrage.Immediately after prime minister’s questions (PMQs), reports revealed that Algerian man Brahim Kaddour-Cherif had been mistakenly let out of Wandsworth Prison.It also emerged that Lammy, who is also justice secretary, was aware of the error when he appeared at the dispatch box.The senior politician was subsequently grilled by ITV News over what he knew – and when – amid growing concern that Lammy had misled fellow MPs in the Commons by dodging the question.But the deputy PM told a reporter on Thursday: “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 dispatch 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 that you end up misleading the House and the public.”He insisted that he still thinks this was the “right judgement” to have made.Lammy was then challenged on just how effective his new “prison checks” are, having promised to introduce firmer restrictions on inmates following Kebatu’s release.He said: “We have found out that the release which caused concern this week was actually before I introduced those checks just a few weeks ago, following the release of Kebatu.”Lammy continued: “But the truth is, I’ve been in post for two months. The rate of release by error is too high, it has to come down.“That’s why I’ve asked Dame Lynn Owens – former Met commissioner – to review this and come back to me quickly as she is able to do.“This is a paper-based system, that obviously involves human error. We had 800 errors under the last government. This has now gone on for a generation.“The prison system is in crisis, so we have to bear down on this. But we have a mountain to climb.”Police are still carrying out a large manhunt to track down Kaddour-Cherif.It was also revealed on Wednesday that a second man, William Smith, had been mistakenly freed by Wandsworth Prison, although he has since handed himself in. Related...Pressure Mounts On David Lammy Over Prisoner Release Row'A Shambles Of A Government': David Lammy Under Fire After Another Prisoner Accidentally ReleasedDavid Lammy Says Reform UK MP's 'Racist' Take On TV Ads 'Belong In The Dark Ages'

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