Prime Minister Andy Burnham has rebuked cabinet ministers after they were recorded sharing a joke about prisoner releases, BBC News reported.
In footage filmed on Tuesday before the first meeting of Burnham’s cabinet, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting was heard speaking to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood about newly appointed Justice Secretary Alex Norris. Streeting said Norris “wants to let them all out”, after earlier joking that he was “the enemy now”. Mahmood replied that he was not, before saying: “You know who’s boss!” The pair then laughed.
The comments, first published by Metro journalist Craig Munro, drew criticism from those who said the exchange appeared to make light of the government’s early prisoner release scheme.
Asked whether it was appropriate for ministers to joke about early release, Burnham told reporters: “No it’s not, and certainly that’s been acknowledged and apologies have been made.”
Streeting said in a post on X that he had been referring to a joke Theresa May had previously made about Ken Clarke when they held comparable Conservative cabinet roles. He said there had been “no ill intent” in what he described as ribbing of the new justice secretary, but added that he accepted the issues were serious and apologised for any offence caused.
Mahmood issued a similar response, saying she did not want the “moment of levity” to be mistaken for a lack of seriousness.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the exchange and linked it to the government’s policy of releasing some prisoners early to address overcrowding. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was right that Streeting had apologised, adding that the remarks did not reflect how seriously ministers would approach public safety and the prison system.
BBC News said the Labour government announced emergency early-release measures in England and Wales after taking office in 2024 to reduce prison overcrowding, with the scheme later expanded. Under the Sentencing Act, due to take effect in September, some prisoners will be released after serving a third of their sentence, while others who would previously have served two-thirds will be released after half.
