Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy has publicly defended his controversial decision to remain silent about a major prisoner release error during this week's Prime Minister's Questions.
The Labour frontbencher revealed he was aware of the serious incident involving a prisoner who was mistakenly freed but chose not to raise it during the weekly parliamentary showdown. Lammy argued that the highly charged atmosphere of PMQs was "not the appropriate forum" for discussing such a sensitive operational matter.
A Deliberate Omission
In a statement that has sparked debate across Westminster, Lammy stated he made a conscious decision to withhold the information from Wednesday's session. He believed that discussing the security lapse in the "theatrical setting" of the Commons could compromise ongoing investigations and potentially jeopardise public safety.
"Some matters require careful handling rather than political point-scoring," Lammy explained, emphasising his preference for addressing the issue through proper ministerial channels rather than public confrontation.
Growing Pressure on Justice System
The revelation comes amid increasing scrutiny of the UK's prison and probation services, which have faced mounting challenges including overcrowding and staff shortages. This latest incident of a mistaken prisoner release adds to concerns about systemic failures within the justice department.
Critics argue that such significant errors should be brought to immediate public attention, while supporters of Lammy's approach suggest that responsible handling of sensitive security matters should take precedence over political opportunism.
The debate continues as to whether PMQs serves as an effective mechanism for holding the government accountable on critical operational failures or if its partisan nature makes it unsuitable for discussing complex justice issues.
