Labour denies Sir Keir Starmer promised peerages for MPs to step down to make space for his candidates

Published

1 year ago

June 3, 2024

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Labour has denied claims it is offering peerages to former Labour MPs so they stand down to make space for Sir Keir Starmer’s chosen candidates.

A number of left-wing Labour candidates, who were MPs until the election was called, told The Times they were told they would be elevated to the House of Lords if they gave up their seats.

But Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: “No party can do that, it’s not the way the system works.”

She added that there is a “whole process” for an independent committee to vet nominations to the Lords so it is not possible for Sir Keir, or any party leader, to promise anybody a seat there.

The allegation came after Sir Keir was accused of trying to get rid of candidates to the left of the party.

Veteran MP Diane Abbott accused him of “culling” Labour left-wingers after two potential candidates, Faiza Shaheen and Lloyd Russell-Moyle, were blocked from standing.

Former leader Jeremy Corbyn told Sky News Sir Keir is “clearly intervening” in a “purge” of left-wing candidates.

But Sir Keir has denied that, saying he wants “the highest quality candidates”.

Whether Ms Abbott, the first female black MP, would be allowed to stand or not for the Labour Party has taken over the headlines in the first week of the election campaign.

Asked by Trevor Phillips if she expects Ms Abbott to be the Labour candidate for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Ms Cooper said: “I assume so, yes.

“I’m very glad it’s been resolved for Diane. She continues to be a very important figure in the Labour Party.”

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Ms Abbott was given the Labour whip back at the beginning of the week after a year-long investigation over a letter she wrote suggesting Jewish, Irish and Traveller people do not face racism.

Confusion reigned when she claimed she had been barred from standing for Labour in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, the seat she has held for 37 years.

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Sir Keir said no decision had yet been taken and it was not up to him, but the party’s national executive committee.

Then on Friday, he said: “She is free to go forward as a Labour candidate.”

Ms Abbott said she would not be making a comment until she is officially endorsed by the party’s ruling National Executive Committee next week.

But she told Sky News that “the narrative does look positive”.

Labour sources said she will be the Labour candidate in her east London constituency and is expected to ratify the decision when it meets on Tuesday.

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David Lammy blames ‘human error’ for release of migrant sex offender – as confirms independent investigation

Published

2 hours ago

October 28, 2025

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David Lammy blames 'human error' for release of migrant sex offender - as confirms independent investigation

David Lammy has confirmed there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant jailed for sex offences, as he blamed “human error” for the incident.

The deputy prime minister and justice secretary told MPs he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims and he would be deported back to Ethiopia “as quickly as possible”.

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Kebatu, who was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, was freed in error from HMP Chelmsford in Essex on Friday instead of being handed over to immigration officials for deportation.

His accidental release sparked widespread alarm and a manhunt that resulted in him being found and arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 8.30am on Sunday.

The incident has sparked questions over how the man, whose crimes sparked protests in Epping over the use of asylum hotels, was able to be freed.

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons, Mr Lammy said the mistake should not have happened as he sought to lay part of the blame on to the Conservatives over the state of the prison system over the past 14 years.

He said “there must and there will be accountability” for the mistaken release of Kebatu from prison.

“I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable,” he said.

“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”

Mr Lammy said he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when an offender is released from prison, and new safeguards have been added that amount to the “strongest release checks that have ever been in place”.

The justice secretary said the investigation would be led by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, who also used to lead the National Crime Agency.

He also said the investigation would have the same status as high-profile probes into other prison incidents, including the attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin in April of this year and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.

‘Calamity Lammy’

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick referred to a report by Sky News which detailed how a witness present at the prison observed Kebatu appearing “confused” upon his release.

The witness said Kebatu had in fact tried to go back into the prison several times, but was instead guided to Chelmsford station, where he caught a train to London.

Mr Jenrick claimed the case was proof “the only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK”.

“Dear oh dear,” he said. “Where to begin? This justice secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted – no – who tried to be deported.

“Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.”

He went on: “The only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.

“His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all – yeah, they’re not wrong, are they?”

Mr Jenrick, who served as immigration minister under the previous Conservative government, branded his opposite number “calamity Lammy”.

“It’s a national embarrassment and today the justice secretary feigns anger at what happened.”

Continuing with his attack, Mr Jenrick asked Mr Lammy whether he would resign if Kebatu was not deported “by the end of the week” – to which he received no reply.

But asked later by an MP whether he was considering his position, Mr Lammy replied: “A ridiculous question, the answer is no.”

The new checks announced by Mr Lammy on Monday involve five pages of instructions and require more senior prison staff to sign off a release, according to documents obtained by Sky News.

The instructions are effective from Monday.