Defence Secretary apologises for 'ill intent' comments on prisoner early release scheme

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said there was "no ill intent" behind comments he made apparently about the early prisoner release scheme, which were caught on camera.

In a video, published by the news website Guido Fawkes, the new Justice Secretary Alex Norris can be seen walking towards Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Streeting, can then be heard calling Norris "the enemy now" while Mahmood responds "no he's not". Streeting goes on to say "he wants to let them all out" - appearing to reference the government's plans for early release for prisoners.

The comments have been criticised by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for making light of the scheme, which her party opposes.

"While Andy Burnham's cabinet are joking about letting criminals out of prison early, Conservatives are listening to victims and will continue to fight this disgusting policy," the Conservative leader wrote on X.

Streeting and the home secretary, Mahmood, have both apologised for the comments caught on the hot mic with both labelling the early release scheme a "serious issue".

"I hope everyone can see there was no ill intent behind this ribbing of the new justice secretary - it was a reference to an old May/Clarke joke," the defence secretary said in a post on X.

"But I appreciate these are very serious issues and am sorry for any offence inadvertently caused by this moment of levity."

In 2017, Theresa May said of her Conservative colleague Ken Clarke, who had served as justice secretary, that: "When I was home secretary, I used to say 'I locked 'em up and he let 'em out'."

The home secretary wrote: "I think everyone can see there was no ill intent behind this ribbing of the new Lord Chancellor - a role I once filled and which comes with immense challenges thanks to the vandalism inflicted on our justice system by the last Conservative government."

"But I appreciate this is an extremely serious issue and do not want anyone to mistake this moment of levity for a lack of serious intent."

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was "right" that Streeting had apologised.

"Those remarks don't reflect the seriousness with which all of them will approach matters relating to public safety and the prison system."

Shortly after coming to power in 2024, the Labour government announced emergency measures to release prisoners early in a bid to ease overcrowding in prisons.

At one point, the Prison Governors' Association had warned that jails were due to run out of space within days.

Alexander defended the government's actions, saying: "Difficult but necessary decisions had to be taken to ensure the prison system could continue functioning."

"We were in danger of a situation where the courts couldn't sentence because there weren't prison spaces available and police wouldn't be able to make arrests."