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The justice secretary has unveiled new plans to tackle the overcrowding crisis that has engulfed jails across the country.
In a speech at HMP Five Wells in Northamptonshire, Shabana Mahmood said failing to ease pressure on prisons could cause a “total breakdown of law and order”.
Thousands of prisoners are to be released earlier than planned as the government attempts to avert the “collapse” of the prisons system.
The plans would see a temporary reduction in the proportion of their sentence many prisoners must serve in jail from 50 per cent to 44 per cent.
This would not apply to violent offenders serving more than four years, sex offenders or those in prison for crimes connected to domestic abuse.
The change is expected to come into force in September, with the Justice Secretary also announcing the recruitment of 1,000 additional trainee probation officers by March.
It comes as Nigel Farage is set to return to GB News next week after being elected as an MP on his eighth attempt, the channel has confirmed.
Ofcom repeatedly found that the broadcaster breached rules on impartiality, which allow politicians to present current affairs programmes but not act as newsreaders.
Key Points
- Labour set out emergency plans to tackle collapsing prisons
- Starmer says ‘unforgivable' prison overcrowding crisis ‘worse than we thought’
- Justice secretary: ‘Sunak and his gang in Number Ten are guilty men’
- Health minister Wes Streeting to ban puberty blockers permanently
- Suella Braverman blasts Labour’s early release prison plan
Nigel Farage to restart GB News show next week after election win
Nigel Farage is set to return to GB News next week after being elected as an MP on his eighth attempt, the channel has confirmed.
The Reform UK leader, 60, formally took his seat in the House of Commons as the representative for the Essex seaside constituency of Clacton after he was sworn in on Thursday.
He cancelled his GB News show, which he hosted Monday to Thursday each week, in May to free up time to help with the general election campaigning for Reform UK.
Nigel Farage to restart GB News show next week after election win
The Reform UK leader will return to the channel next week and present a show three times a week
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 08:00 1720850400Readers have their say on reforming Britain’s electoral system – from PR to compulsory voting
for electoral reform – from both sides of the political spectrum.
The Liberal Democrats have long advocated for proportional representation, arguing it would make “seats won match votes cast” and facilitate “politicians having to work together”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is also calling for change, as his party’s dispersed voter base meant that 14% of the national vote share only translated into five seats. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems’ 72 seats were won with just 12% of the vote.
Readers have their say on electoral reform – from PR to compulsory voting
You emphasised the need for comprehensive electoral reform, but couldn’t agree on what form that should take
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 07:00 1720846800
‘Britain belongs on world stage’ says Starmer at end of first summit as PM
Sir Keir Starmer declared the UK was back playing a leading role on the world stage at the conclusion of his first international summit as prime minister. He said his government would “reset” the UK’s relationship with Europe, return to leadership on climate change and “engage more deeply” with developing countries in the southern hemisphere. Sir Keir’s comments came at the conclusion of Nato’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington DC, where the prime minister said the allies had united behind Ukraine and the idea that a Russian victory is “unthinkable”.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 06:00 1720843200Labour’s prisoner release plan a ‘dangerous gamble’, warns aunt of murdered Zara Aleena
Labour’s plans to release thousands of prisoners early is a “dangerous gamble with public safety”, the aunt of Zara Aleena has said.
Farah Naz, whose niece was murdered by a man who had been out of prison on licence for nine days, warned of the potential consequences if the probation service was unable to cope.
She said that in the case of Ms Aleena’s killer Jordan McSweeney, the probation service was “not fit to deliver supervision” or “act in a timely way” when he broke his licence conditions.
Labour’s prison release plan a ‘dangerous gamble’, warns aunt of murdered Zara Aleena
Farah Naz, whose niece Zara Aleena was murdered by a man who had been out of prison on licence for nine days, warned of the potential consequences if the probation service was unable to cope
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 05:00 1720839600James Cleverly seeks to jokingly dispel Westminster rumour – by admitting he is a Warhammer fan
James Cleverly has jokingly sought to dispel a rumour he says has been making its way around Westminster for years, by admitting he is fan of the game Warhammer.
The Conservative MP and former foreign secretary posted a selfie on X, formerly Twitter, with a freshly painted Warhammer 40k figurine much to the amusement of many social media users.
“There have been some rumours about me floating around Westminster for some time. There is no point in trying to hide this any longer. It’s true”, the Lewisham-born father-of-two and MP for Braintree in Essex wrote.
Cleverly jokingly dispels Westminster rumour – by admitting he is a Warhammer fan
Warhammer 40K is a game of fantasy battles in which players collect mini-figurines of mythical creatures to act out clashes on a tabletop battlefield
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 04:00 1720836000Suella Braverman says Tories ‘shamefully’ did not build enough prisons in bizarre attack on own party
Suella Braverman launched a bizarre attack on her own party’s policies, urging the Conservatives to admit they “shamefully” did not build enough prisons while in office.
As Labour announced a series of measures to ease the overcrowding crisis facing UK jails, the ex-home secretary said the Tories needed to “take responsibility for what we left undone”.
Sir Keir Starmer’s newly appointed justice secretary Shabana Mahmood warned on Friday that without immediate action to address overcrowding, prisons would run out of space within weeks leading to “a total breakdown of law and order”.
Suella Barverman admits Tories ‘shamefully’ did not build enough prisons
As Labour announced a series of measures to ease the overcrowding crisis facing UK jails, Suella Braverman said the Tories needed to ‘take responsibility’
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 03:00 1720832400Exclusive: The real reason Rishi Sunak held his disastrous snap election
The prospect of hundreds of thousands of voters suffering a steep rise in their mortgage bills drove Rishi Sunak’s decision to call a snap general election.
The former prime minister feared the wrath of homeowners forced to pay an average of £240 more a month.
Households would have to pay even more eye-watering sums in many of the so-called “blue wall” Conservative seats in the south of England Mr Sunak was desperate to save.
But the early poll failed to avoid disaster– as the Tories crashed to the worst general election defeat in their history.
Our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin has the full story:
The real reason Rishi Sunak held his disastrous snap election
Hundreds of thousands of homeowners would have been forced to pay an average of £240 more a month in mortgage bills
Salma Ouaguira13 July 2024 02:00 1720828800Food bank launches campaign to end subsidised ‘fine dining’ for MPs
Food bank launches campaign to end subsidised ‘fine dining’ for MPs
The ‘No Food in The House’ campaign aims to raise awareness for food poverty and insecurity across the country
Salma Ouaguira13 July 2024 01:00 1720825200Miliband vows ‘no stone unturned’ in finding green future for Grangemouth
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said he will leave “no stone unturned” in trying to find a future for workers at Grangemouth, after ministers from the Scottish and UK governments met its owners.
It is understood a report called Project Willow, worth around £1.6 million and funded by both governments, will seek to chart a future in low-carbon energy for Grangemouth.
Hundreds of jobs are thought to be at risk after owner Petroineos – a joint venture between PetroChina and Ineos – announced the oil refinery at Grangemouth would be shut after spring next year.
Miliband vows ‘no stone unturned’ in finding green future for Grangemouth
Ministers from the Scottish and UK governments met Grangemouth’s owners Petroineos.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain13 July 2024 00:00 1720821634Hunt’s children left notes in Downing Street for young Starmers
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s children were left notes from outgoing chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s offspring in the Downing Street flat that will become their home.
Mr Hunt’s children Jack, Anna and Eleanor moved out of the No 11 flat after the Labour landslide swept the Tories from office.
Sir Keir said it was “very special” that they left messages for his own 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.
Hunt’s children left notes in Downing Street for young Starmers
Sir Keir Starmer said his children were left ‘very special’ messages by the previous occupants of the 11 Downing Street flat.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain12 July 2024 23:00 Newer1 / 6OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
