Latest news with #ShabanaMahmood
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
I'll send depraved monsters like Ian Huntley to hellhole jails in El Salvador if Reform is elected, reveals Nigel Farage
TWISTED criminals like child-killer Ian Huntley would be sent to jails in El Salvador to serve their sentences under a Reform UK government. Party leader Nigel Farage is today set to unveil plans to rent prison space overseas — including in Central America — to cage Britain's most depraved murderers and paedophiles. 3 3 The proposed scheme would see more than 10,000 serious offenders locked up in 'partner' nations — with a Reform source yesterday confirming: 'We would consider multiple partners including El Salvador.' And Mr Farage told The Sun: 'For too long, Labour and the Tories have sent the message that crime in Britain carries little to no consequence. Reform will change that. "If you're a criminal, we are putting you on notice. In 2029 you have a choice to make: be a law-abiding citizen or face serious justice.' In Westminster, Mr Farage will outline proposals to lease overseas cells, providing a cost-effective solution at a time when our jails are nearing breaking point. The plan would make use of so-called dynamic prisons — which focus on adapting traditional options to become more flexible in their location and management. According to Ministry of Justice data, the average annual cost of housing a prisoner in England and Wales was £51,724 as of April 2024. Last month, the prison population rose to a staggering 87,334 — just 2,239 short of full capacity. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood faced criticism earlier this month over recommendations that could allow thugs, thieves, and drug-dealers to avoid crown court. Offenders may dodge a criminal record and instead be sentenced to do unpaid work or get rehabilitation, it is proposed. Sentences could also be slashed by 40 per cent — up from a third now — for early guilty pleas. Moment deported Tren de Aragua gang inmates scream and rattle cells at US officials in notorious El Salvador mega-prison That's in addition to thousands of early prisoner releases both last year and this to try to stop a meltdown in the prison system. Reform MP Sarah Pochin, a former magistrate, told The Sun yesterday: 'The cost to the British taxpayer of prison places is currently estimated at over £50,000 per year and rising. 'By sending our most serious offenders to overseas jails, we greatly reduce this cost and at the same time they experience a tougher prison environment and lose privileges such as family visits which quite frankly they don't deserve.' Supporters say the move would curb the ability of sick monsters — including Soham double child-killer Huntley — to torment the families of their victims from behind bars. Last week, The Sun revealed Huntley had sparked outrage by donning a Manchester United-style No10 shirt — a chilling and offensive reference to ones worn by ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman on the day he murdered them in 2002. Now 51, Huntley is serving a life sentence at HMP Frankland, Co Durham, where a source said: 'He's been seen strutting about in the shirt as if it's funny. It is vile.' We told yesterday how jail bosses had now confiscated the shirt. Sending lags abroad to complete their time behind bars is catching on in Scandinavia. Denmark has signed a ten-year deal with Kosovo to lease 300 cells in a refurbished prison near the city of Gjilan. The agreement is worth around £13million per year, with an extra £4.3million in one-off refurbishment costs, totalling approximately £173million over the decade. The initiative is aimed at easing overcrowding in Danish jails, which have operated at capacity for years. Under the plan, only foreign nationals set to be deported post-sentence will be relocated to Kosovo. For too long, Labour and the Tories have sent the message that crime in Britain carries little to no consequence. Reform will change that Nigel Farage But Reform insists that its blueprint will include Britain's most dangerous criminals. Deport offenders The party has already vowed to deport all international offenders. Denmark says its programme is both economical and effective, helping to address staff shortages and easing the strain on local prisons. Supporters say it also sends a firm message to foreign offenders: commit a crime here, and you won't be in for an easy ride. Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium is eyeing a similar deal with Kosovo, while the Netherlands plans to send up to 500 foreign inmates to Estonia from next year. Sweden is studying the legal feasibility of exporting both Swedish and foreign prisoners, and Austria has also expressed interest in following Denmark's lead. And in March, President Donald Trump deported more than 200 Venezuelans held in the US to a mega-prison in El Salvador. But Labour has blasted Mr Farage's overseas prison places plan as 'pie in the sky'. A Government source told The Sun: 'This is more fantasy thinking from Farage, who has once again dreamed up a policy that just doesn't add up. 'While he peddles pie in the sky schemes, this Government is building prisons right here in Britain with 2,400 new cells opened as part of the biggest jail expansion in over a century.'
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Health secretary Wes Streeting could lose seat to pro-Gaza rival under Labour plans to reduce the voting age to 16
Controversial plans to allow votes at 16 could see four ministers lose their seats to pro-Gaza independents, analysis has shown. Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood are among a string of senior Labour figures at risk from a potential surge in support for independent candidates running on a pro-Palestine platform. Labour has been accused of trying to 'rig the political system' by giving the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds, who have traditionally been seen as being more Left-wing. But analysis by the polling organisation More In Common suggests the big winners could be hard-Left figures such as the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and pro-Gaza independents, who stunned the party by winning four seats at last year's election. The research found there are seven Labour seats where the number of 16 and 17-year-olds is bigger than the sitting MP's majority over a pro-Palestine independent at last year's election. They include Ilford North, where Mr Streeting clung on by just 528 votes, and Birmingham Ladywood, where Ms Mahmood saw her majority slashed to less than 3,500 following a 40 per cent collapse in Labour's vote share. Mr Streeting, who is tipped as a potential future Labour leader, has been urged by allies to seek a safer seat before the next election – known at Westminster as 'doing a chicken run'. But he appeared to rule out the move earlier this year, insisting he does not believe in 'cutting and running'. Ms Mahmood said her local campaign had been 'sullied by harassment and intimidation', with some opponents trying to 'deny' her Muslim faith. Also possibly at risk is the seat of outspoken Home Office minister Jess Phillips, whose majority last year was cut to just 693 following a vigorous campaign by a local pro-Gaza candidate. Ironically, elections minister Rushanara Ali, who is responsible for introducing the change in the law, could also be ousted. Ms Ali held on in Bethnal Green and Stepney by just 1,689 votes last year. Mr Corbyn has already formed a loose 'Independent Alliance' at Westminster with the four pro-Gaza MPs. They are now in talks with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana about creating a new party to fight the next election. The More In Common analysis found that a party led by Mr Corbyn would top the poll with Gen Z voters. The study found that the overall impact of extending the franchise to 16-year-olds was likely to be limited. But it added: 'It is likely that independent candidates running on pro-Gaza tickets could do very well out of this change.' The findings will fuel concerns among some Labour strategists that the rule change could backfire. Election experts have suggested the Greens, Lib Dems and Reforms could do well among the new electorate. Nigel Farage, who has a large youth following on TikTok, accused Labour of an 'attempt to rig the political system', but said: 'We intend to give them a nasty surprise'.
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Prisoners let out ‘in error' or held illegally beyond their release date in ‘squalid' prison, watchdog warns
Criminals have been released early by mistake or held illegally beyond their release date in 'appalling conditions' inside a chaotic and squalid prison, a watchdog has warned. The chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has issued an urgent notification to the government over the state of medium security HMP Pentonville. The overcrowded Victorian jail in north London, where most prisoners share cells designed for one person, is infested with mice and cockroaches. Inspectors discovered 10 inmates in the Category B jail had been released early 'in error' between July 2024 and June 2025 because staff 'failed to calculate sentences accurately'. The prison holds a wide range offenders, including some jailed for violent crimes. A further 130 inmates – 20 per cent of those eligible for release – had been held illegally after their release date in the last six months. In a letter to justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, the chief inspector said arrangements for new prisoners' first night at the north London jail and induction were 'chaotic and even frightening'. Men were held in dirty cells missing bedding, furniture, telephones and pillows, the watchdog said, while the majority of prisoners were locked in their cells for more than 22 hours a day. Inspectors took emergency action after they found oversight of prisoners at risk of suicide and self-harm was 'shockingly poor', with one prison officer found asleep when they were supposed to be monitoring at-risk prisoners. Two were found reading books and another was 'completely absent', despite three self-inflicted deaths at the prison in 2025. Mr Taylor said: 'Pentonville is an overcrowded, inner-city, Victorian prison with a record of poor performance over many years. 'Too many of its staff have become disillusioned about the possibility of improvement or their capacity to affect change. Yet many of its shocking failures are firmly within the control of leaders.' A survey of prisoners also revealed 44 per cent felt unsafe at the time of inspection, which is the highest figure recorded during Mr Taylor's tenure as chief inspector. Pentonville is the tenth prison to be issued with an urgent notification since November 2022, following Exeter, Cookham Wood Young Offender Institution, Woodhill, Bedford, Wandsworth, Rochester, Manchester and Winchester prisons. The Howard League for Penal Reform described the findings as a 'new low' for the prisons system. Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns, said: 'The details emerging from this inspection are appalling and outrageous, and they represent a new low for an overcrowded and under-resourced public service that stands on the brink of collapse. 'While the government inherited a dire state of affairs in prisons, it has had more than a year to bring about change. As report cards go, such a dire account of dysfunction in Pentonville instils little confidence that ministers have a grip of the situation.' Pia Sinha, of the Prison Reform Trust, said the damning report must serve as a rallying cry for action. 'Prisoners illegally held after they should have been released, or others released early in error, further undermine effective sentence planning and erode public confidence,' she added. 'This urgent notification must be a rallying cry for immediate action – fix the failing infrastructure, improve staff training, and treat prisoners with dignity.' Prisons minister Lord Timpson said: 'This is a deeply concerning report and reflects the crisis that has gripped too many of our prisons for far too long. 'Yesterday, I visited HMP Pentonville and met with staff. The team is already working to urgently address the concerns raised by the Chief Inspector. We will publish an action plan in the coming weeks to support them in these efforts. 'This Government will end the chaos we inherited in our jails. We are building 14,000 new prison places and reforming sentencing so our jails reduce reoffending, cut crime, and keep victims safe.'
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Innocent 'Beast of Birkenhead' Peter Sullivan now in line for £1.3m payout but lawyers say miscarriage of justice changes 'don't go nearly far enough'
Labour has announced an increase in maximum pay-outs to victims of miscarriages of justice – but the changes do not go far enough, lawyers have warned. The current cap on compensation payments for people wrongly jailed for 10 years or more will rise by £300,000 to £1.3million, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed today. The ceiling on payments to those wrongly jailed for up to 10 years will also rise by 30 per cent to £650,000. The increase is likely to mean that Peter Sullivan – whose conviction was quashed in May for a murder he did not commit – will now be due a higher pay-out. In one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice Mr Sullivan spent 38 years behind bars before judges overturned his conviction for the 1986 murder of 21-year-old florist Diane Sindall. Erroneously dubbed the 'Beast of Birkenhead' after the brutal killing, Mr Sullivan had long protested his innocence. The sheer length of his wrongful jail term means he is expected to be awarded a sum to the limit of the new cap. In another high-profile case, Andrew Malkinson was wrongly jailed for rape for 17 years and finally freed two years ago. Months after his release he had received no pay-out and described himself as 'broke' and 'living in a tent'. In February it emerged Mr Malkinson had received a 'significant' six-figure interim pay-out – but his final application is yet to be resolved. Solicitor Toby Wilton, who is representing Mr Malkinson in his compensation claim, said Ms Mahmood's announcement 'does not go nearly far enough'. 'The current maximum cap on compensation of £1million was introduced in 2008,' Mr Wilton said. 'Before that, compensation was not capped at all and applicants received compensation broadly in line with what they would receive in a court of law. 'The government should return to this system, removing the arbitrary cap which unfairly penalises those who like Andrew Malkinson have suffered the longest lasting and most serious miscarriages of justice. 'While this proposal is welcome, it does not go nearly far enough.' He added: 'The Government and Parliament should think again. 'A 30 per cent increase in the cap, whilst welcome, does not come close to addressing this unfairness. 'Increased by RPI inflation, the measure the courts use to uprate compensation amounts, £1million in 2008 would be closer to £2million today.' Announcing the changes, Ms Mahmood said: 'Fairness is the ideal that underpins our justice system. 'Where it has failed to meet that ideal, victims of devastating miscarriages of justice must be able to rebuild their lives. 'This uplift will ensure victims are compensated for the crimes they did not commit and the years they cannot get back.' The exact amount of compensation is decided by an independent assessor. Applications must be made within two years of being pardoned or having a conviction quashed as a result of a newly-discovered fact.
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cap on payouts for miscarriage of justice victims to increase
The government has increased the cap on payouts to victims of miscarriages of justice to ensure they are compensated for "the years they cannot get back".The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the maximum amount will be raised in England and Wales for the first time since 2008, from £1m to £ Malkinson, who had his conviction quashed in 2023 after spending 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit, previously described the cap as "ridiculous".Reacting to the uplift, legal charity Appeal, which represented Mr Malkinson in challenging his wrongful conviction, argued the increase "falls far short of matching inflation". On Tuesday, the government said that the cap would be raised by 30%. This would bring the limit on compensation for people who have been in jail for 10 years or more to £1.3m, and £650,000 for up to a a statement, the MoJ said the increase would create "a fairer and better justice system".Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Fairness is the ideal that underpins our justice system. Where it has failed to meet that ideal, victims of devastating miscarriages of justice must be able to rebuild their lives."This uplift will ensure victims are compensated for the crimes they did not commit and the years they cannot get back."Once eligible, the level of compensation will be decided by an independent assessor. In a statement, investigator James Burley, who led Appeal's investigation into Mr Malkinson's case, said: "This is a step forward, but the increase falls far short of matching inflation since the cap's introduction in 2008."Wrongful conviction survivors like Andrew Malkinson have endured unimaginable pain. The compensation they receive to rebuild their lives should reflect that reality, not be limited by an arbitrary cap."
