Sir Keir Starmer ‘angry’ to see prisoners popping champagne after their early release
Sir Keir Starmer has said he was “angry” to learn that offenders were being greeted with champagne outside of prison gates after being released early to ease overcrowding.
The prime minister said the government had been “forced” to let some offenders out early because prisons across England and Wales had become “so full” that police had been unable to make arrests.
Asked how he felt to see the reported images of prisoners celebrating, the prime minister told reporters in Rome: “I’ve spent five years prosecuting and putting people in prison. And being forced to release people who should be in prison makes me angry.”
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Last week, 1,750 prisoners were let out of prison to alleviate overcrowding in the system – something Sir Keir said the government had “no choice” but to do.
The latest government figures show there was a prison population of 86,333 as of Friday 13 September – down from 88,521 the week before, with more than 3,000 free prison spaces on the estate.
The decision to let out some offenders early has been met with anger in some quarters after one prisoner was accused of assaulting a woman on the same day he was freed. He has been charged and recalled to prison.
The government had said terrorists and convicted sex offenders were not among those being released.
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Starmer blames Tories over prisons
Despite the backlash, the prime minister has defended the government’s decision, saying there was either the choice between releasing people in the way the government had or not being able to arrest criminals and put them in jail.
“You can imagine the impact on law and order in this country if we’ve reached a place where the police could not make the necessary arrests day by day,” he said.
“And you’d be having some pretty hard questions for me if it got to that stage.”
Sir Keir said his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, had also been advised to implement the early release scheme the Tories were now criticising the government about, and accused him of “delaying” the decision until after the election.
“He delayed until after the election and made the situation worse, so angry is what I feel – as I did when I was in Cobra, literally having to plot how many prison places we had, in order to assess whether we could contain the disorder,” he said.
“No prime minister should be in that position.
“To be put into a position where it’s a choice because prisons are so overcrowded that it’s a release scheme the likes of which we had to go down, or a point where the police say we cannot carry out our basic functions, is not a position I should have been put in.”
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Why are prisons overcrowded?
Alongside the early release scheme, the prime minister said Labour would also change planning laws in England and Wales to allow more prisons to be built more rapidly and that the government was “already (trying) to move forward some of the projects in play”.
The government has already taken controversial steps to alleviate overcrowding, including by allowing the early release of prisoners who have served 40% of their sentence.
Prisoners in England and Wales, apart from the most serious offenders, are usually released on licence after serving 50% of their sentence – but from this month, this will be reduced to 40%.
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Politics
Scottish Labour win Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election as SNP suffer shock defeat
Scottish Labour’s Davy Russell has won the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
Mr Russell took top spot with 8,559 votes. The SNP placed second with 7,957 votes, with Reform UK closely taking third with 7,088 votes.
The new MSP said he was “proud” to have been elected, adding: “I said in this campaign that I will put this community, our community first.
“I will work every single day to do that.”
The Scottish Labour team celebrating the win. Pic: PA
The by-election was called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.
The Scottish government minister died in March at the age of 57, having last year taken medical leave to undergo treatment for secondary breast cancer.
South Lanarkshire councillor Katy Loudon had hoped to retain the Holyrood seat for the SNP, given her party’s heavy losses to Labour at last year’s UK general election.
First Minister John Swinney congratulated Mr Russell following the result.
In a post on X, the SNP leader said Ms Loudon had “fought a superb SNP campaign”.
He added: “We have made progress since the election last year but not enough. We still have work to do and we will do it.”
All eyes were also on Reform UK and whether it would enjoy a “tartan bounce” in light of the party’s recent slew of local election wins in England.
With Reform UK never having won an election in Scotland, party deputy leader Richard Tice said candidate Ross Lambie coming in third was a “massive boost for us”.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice turned up to the count to support candidate Ross Lambie. Pic: PA
He added: “It’s a fantastic result, just a few hundred votes away from the SNP, nobody predicted that.
“I think that sets us up with excitement and momentum for the next 11 months into the Holyrood elections.”
Davy Russell celebrating with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and the party’s deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie. Pic: PA
Mr Russell said the constituents had voted to “take a new direction” with his party.
He added: “Like the people here in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, and right across Scotland, we all feel we have been let down by the SNP.
“They’ve broken our NHS, wasted our money, and after nearly two decades they don’t deserve another chance.”
Mr Sarwar and Mr Russell on the campaign trail. Pic: PA
Mr Russell said the community had also “sent a message” to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage “and his mob tonight”.
He added: “The poison of Reform isn’t us, it isn’t Scotland, and we don’t want your division here.
“Reform have no real answers to the issues we face, and they can’t beat the SNP here or replace them across Scotland.”
Mr Russell said his party was ready to “fix” the NHS and “end the SNP’s addiction to wasting your money”.
He added: “The road to a new direction for Scotland in 2026 – with Anas Sarwar as first minister and a Scottish Labour government – begins right here. So, let’s go and win it together.”
By-election Scottish Conservative candidate Richard Nelson (left) and Reform UK candidate Ross Lambie. Pic: PA
Ten candidates went head-to-head in the Holyrood by-election:
• Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party – 278 votes
• Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party – 219 votes
• Ross Lambie, Reform UK – 7,088 votes
• Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party (SNP) – 7,957 votes
• Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party (UKIP) – 50 votes
• Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party – 695 votes
• Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats – 533 votes
• Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – 1,621 votes
• Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party – 8,559 votes
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent – 109 votes
The votes were verified and manually counted at South Lanarkshire Council headquarters in Hamilton.
Dame Jackie got emotional after Mr Russell’s win. Pic: PA
Campaigning became heated in the run up to the by-election, with Reform UK accused of running a “racist” ad on Facebook against Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Reform leader Mr Farage continued to double down, accusing his rival of “sectarian politics”.
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In response, the Scottish Labour MSP branded Mr Farage a “poisonous little man” and accused him of running a “campaign of dirt and smear”.
First Minister Mr Swinney had earlier warned it was a “two-horse race” between the SNP and Reform UK, urging voters to “defeat the gutter politics” of Mr Farage.
With less than a year to go before the Scottish parliament election, the result potentially offers a snapshot of how the political landscape north of the border could look in 2026.
Mr Sarwar said: “I think people need to change the script, because we’ve proven the pollsters wrong.
“We’ve proven the commentators wrong, we’ve proven the bookies wrong. We’ve proven John Swinney wrong and so many others wrong too.”
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