Celebratory scenes outside British prisons haunted the prime minister once again today as inmates were released early to free up space.
An inmate gave a “big up” to Sir Keir Starmer and posed with a Bentley and black Mercedes G-Class outside of HM Prison Swaleside.
The 29-year-old told reporters he had been in prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, for seven years for kidnap and grievous bodily harm of someone who owed money to his friend – however, he was leaving seven weeks earlier than planned.
The father-of-two said the first thing he would do is “go to McDonald’s, go to my hostel and follow all the rules”.
On being released, he said: “I kidnapped someone who owed my friend money. I tied him up and had him at gunpoint. I beat him up. It was bad but not as bad as they made out. I’m so sorry for it though.
“I’m changed. Big up Keir Starmer, I am delighted to be released early.”
Asked on Tuesday if the prime minister was happy that he was being “bigged up” by criminals, Downing Street said: “No.”
The PM’s official spokesperson said that Sir Keir “shares the public anger” over the situation, which he said ministers had inherited from the last Tory government, but he added that the prison crisis was so extreme that “there was no choice not to act”.
It is an opinion shared by William Hague, who told Times Radio he had “the most sympathy” with the incoming government on this.
Watch the clip in full below:
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