Minister Doesn’t Realise Labour Has Cut Short Prison Time for Sexual Offenders and Domestic Abusers – Guido Fawkes

LISTEN: Minister Doesn’t Realise Labour Has Cut Short Prison Time for Sexual Offenders and Domestic Abusers

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Economic Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds was on the morning round and tried to reassure viewers over the early release of prisoners. She was asked on Times Radio if domestic abusers or sexual offenders will be exempt from changes to the rules which will only recall licence-breaching offenders for 28 days. She said the change doesn’t apply to them:

“No, it won’t apply to sexual offenders and domestic abusers. It won’t apply to the most dangerous criminals.”

Reynolds had to be told that this was in fact wrong. Only terrorists and those at highest-risk of committing serious offences are exempt from Mahmood’s rule change. Reynolds backtracked:

“Well, look, we need to ensure that we have a prison system that works…We’re not going to endanger victims. This is a reform that the Conservatives brought in, that we are simply extending…We didn’t want to be in this position, but we need to do something to ensure that we have the prison places for criminals, and that’s why we are kick-starting a programme to build the places that we need urgently. But in the meantime, we can’t let the criminal justice system break down, so that’s why we’re having to extend some of these reforms, but we keep everything under review.”

The exchange goes on for some time. Gauke’s sentencing review due next week is set to widely loosen rules. When even your own ministers can’t believe the leniency…