Prisoners moved out of Wandsworth jail after Daniel Khalife’s escape

Published

2 years ago

September 10, 2023

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About 40 prisoners have been moved out of Wandsworth prison after the escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that inmates were moved “out of an abundance of caution”.

Khalife, 21, was arrested on Saturday after 75 hours on the run.

Politics Live: Justice secretary faces questions on Sky News after prison break

The breakout has raised questions about alleged understaffing and overcrowding at HMP Wandsworth, and why Khalife was being held at the less secure Category B facility when most terror suspects are held in HMP Belmarsh, a Category A prison.

Mr Chalk was not able to provide a figure when asked repeatedly how many terror suspects are in Category B prisons rather than Category A.

He said: “What I can say in respect of Wandsworth… I wanted to ensure out of an abundance of caution that every resource is put into that prison and security is preserved, some prisoners there on remand have been moved.”

He said the transfers happened this week, adding: “Additional resources have gone into Wandsworth, out of an abundance of caution around 40 prisoners have been moved.”

The government has launched a number of reviews into Khalife’s escape, including one looking at the “placement and categorisation” of all inmates in Wandsworth and another investigating all people behind bars currently charged with terror offences.

These will run alongside an independent investigation to establish how Khalife was able to escape.

The 21-year-old remains in police custody after he was dramatically arrested on Saturday in the north-west London suburb of Northolt after four days on the run.

Detectives believe the former soldier made his getaway by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery lorry after leaving the prison kitchen in a cook’s uniform.

Mr Chalk, discussing the preliminary findings of one of the reviews he has issued, said the investigation has looked into whether protocols were in place relating to the unloading of food from a van and searching the delivery vehicle.

He said the protocols were in place but “plainly what we’ve yet to establish is whether those protocols were followed”.

He said he will set out “next week” the terms of reference of the separate independent investigation to ensure that the conclusions are “rock solid”.

The government is facing criticism over cuts to the prison system with critics saying the escape reflects a wider mismanagement of the criminal justice system.

Former Tory MP and prisons minister Rory Stewart said is “completely mad” how ministers are moved into roles in government with no knowledge at all.

“You could not run a fish and chip shop in the way in which the British government is run – it’s insane,” he told Trevor Phillips.

Politics

Latest polling says if an election was held tomorrow Reform UK would win a majority

Published

18 hours ago

June 21, 2025

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Latest polling says if an election was held tomorrow Reform UK would win a majority

Since the local elections Reform UK has had no shortage of good polls.

But a new one suggests Nigel Farage’s party has a chance not only of winning the next election, but of claiming a decent Commons majority, too.

In February, Reform topped a Sky News/YouGov poll for the first time, with Nigel Farage’s party edging in front on 25%, Labour pushed into second on 24%, with the Tories on 21%.

But a fresh one from Ipsos puts Reform on 34%, nine points ahead of Labour on 25%, with the Conservatives a distant third on 15%.

While the other parties are flatlining, Reform appears to be pushing boundaries.

Were these figures to be replicated across the country at a general election, with every constituency behaving the same way, then Reform could win as many as 340 seats, giving it a majority of 30, Sky News analysis suggests.

Labour could be reduced to 176 seats, down 236 on last year’s election, while the Tories would hit a record low of 12 seats.

But polling should always be taken with a pinch of salt and with the firm acknowledgement that there is not an election coming any time soon.

Conservative backbenchers might also tell you publicly that opinion polls are notoriously difficult to translate into seat numbers because voting percentages in individual constituencies can vary hugely from the overall average.

But the truth is that the symbolism of Reform UK topping another poll is likely to be noticed by MPs from all parties, especially backbench Conservatives who have actively been hoping their leader, Kemi Badenoch, can help them climb the polls and bring the party back into public favour.

Politics is a brutal game and when it comes to toppling underwhelming party leaders, the Tories are more ruthless than most. One wonders how many of these polls Mrs Badenoch’s party will allow her to endure.

This poll is also a warning to Labour.

As the party approaches a year since its major victory, it will not have much to celebrate if these numbers are anything to go by.

According to this survey, only 19% are satisfied with the job Sir Keir Starmer is doing as prime minister, with 73% dissatisfied.

And the figure of 25% of voters intending to vote Labour is a level not seen since October 2019.

While abstract to much of the public, polling can often shape not only the chatter inside Westminster but how and when plots by MPs begin.

For Reform UK, this is a much-needed morale boost after a surprise resignation by their former Chairman Zia Yusuf, and then an almost immediate U-turn back into the party.

And Kemi Badenoch – who said during her leadership campaign that the Conservatives needed to go back to first principles and that this would take time – will be wondering, seven-and-a-half months after winning the leadership, how much time she really has left.

Ipsos interviewed a representative probability sample of 1,180 British adults aged 18+, via the Ipsos UK KnowledgePanel. Data was collected between 30 May-4 June 2025.