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WATCH: Robert Jenrick declares latest prisoner release error a 'complete and utter shambles'
Dec 3, 2025
Robert Jenrick has launched a scathing attack on "incompetent" David Lammy as he tore into the Justice Secretary's plans to scrap the tradition for thousands of cases.Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Justice Secretary branded the decision a "disaster" and warned Mr Lammy that he is focusing on the "wrong priorities".FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Robert, could I ask you about the shadow Justice Secretary, David Lammy
0:05
or as he's termed in the Daily Mail today, Calamity Lammy. Is that something that you would agree with, bearing in mind the plans to scrap most jury trials
0:19
another 12 prisoners freed in error as well, and so many other criticisms against him
0:26
What would you say after yesterday's events? Yeah, well, we laugh about calamity, Lammy
0:31
because he's such a disaster and incompetence seems to follow him around
0:36
But this is actually very serious. Here you've got a right that we've enjoyed in this country
0:41
to a jury trial for at least 800 years, perhaps even longer than that
0:45
It goes back to Magna Carta being tossed aside by Keir Starmer and David Lammy
0:51
because of administrative failure by the Ministry of Justice. Of course we've got to get the backlog of cases in the courts down
0:58
it's wrong that someone is being asked to wait four or five years for a trial
1:02
Of course it is, particularly for very serious offences like rape. But you don't fix that by getting rid of this fundamental right and freedom
1:11
that we've enjoyed for such a long period of time. You fix it by getting the court sitting round the clock
1:17
And you can do that. The lady chief justice who runs the whole thing came to Parliament the other day
1:22
and said that she's willing to offer the government more courtroom sitting days
1:27
They haven't taken her up. On financial grounds, and at the same time, Rachel Reeves is able to find 16 billion quid out of our taxes for benefits
1:35
billions for illegal migrants who've broken into the country on small boats. It's the wrong priorities
1:40
We want a well criminal justice system Get the court backlogged down But don wreck jury trials Of course David Lemmy would say that jury trials only make up about 2 of the system
1:52
as it stands. He also says that if he doesn't intervene, then the system
1:56
justice system is going to collapse. And he referenced yesterday about six in 10
2:00
rape victims actually withdraw from prosecutions because they are waiting so many years for their case to go to trial. I mean, what do you say to all of that
2:09
It is completely shameful to our country that someone could be raped today and the trial of their perpetrator might take four or five years to come to court
2:22
We've got to fix that. But you don't need to scrap jury trials in order to do that
2:27
You've got to get the court sitting around the clock and you've got to do the hard yards of government. There's all sorts of failures right now. It's a paper based system
2:34
Prisoners aren't arriving at court on time. Young people don't want to be criminal barristers because it's poorly paid
2:39
Those are the sorts of things you should be focused on. And there's a suspicion of many people that the reason why David Lammy and Keir Starmer and others want to get rid of jury trials is because fundamentally they don't trust ordinary people
2:55
There have been people on the left of British politics who've wanted to get rid of them for a very long time
3:00
Tony Blair and Jack Straw tried to do it back in the day, and now it's reared its head once again
3:06
I trust ordinary people. I think there is wisdom and common sense from 12 ordinary people
3:13
our friends, our family, our neighbours, coming together and making judgments about people
3:18
And there are sometimes rare but important occasions where you need that safety valve
3:23
And you've seen that recently. Look at the case of Jamie Michael He was a veteran who put something on social media after the Southport attack which he probably regretted It was a foolish and wrong thing to do but he was acquitted by a court in just 17 minutes
3:39
We'll never know exactly why, but I suspect the jury felt, you know what, this man served our country, he made an honest mistake
3:44
he doesn't deserve to have his life ruined, and that's the sort of occasion where you or I, everyone in this country
3:50
wants to see a jury trial continue and do the right thing. What would you think if Rachel Reeves was subject to a jury trial
3:58
We were running a poll on the programme today and we were quite shocked by how many people feel
4:04
that basically their lives have been ruined and their savings ruined by last week's budget
4:10
94% was it, Ellie? Yes, it's affected their savings. 94% of people think this was a bad budget
4:17
What would you say to that jury? Well, I don't know who the 6% who thought it was a good jury
4:22
a good budget were. I mean, I've not met those people. Look, people feel poor right now
4:27
They feel like the economy is bumping along the bottom. All of the small businesses that I meet are absolutely up against it right now
4:36
as a result of the rise in national insurance business rates going up
4:40
You know, it's now going to be even more expensive to employ people, particularly young people who should be given a leg up and a first start in life
4:48
For working families, taxes are going to get up. They're going to get sucked into the higher rates of income tax
4:54
the massive stealth tax. And what's Rachel Reeves done? She's broken her promises
4:59
She's mishandled the economy by creating all this uncertainty and constantly flying kites for every conceivable type of tax rise
5:08
over the last few months. And now she asks for sympathy, despite the fact she basically misled the public over the true state of the public finances People have had enough of Rachel Reeves and it time for her to go David Lammy admitted yesterday that another 12 prisoners
5:27
have been released in error in the past three weeks. He also admitted that two of those
5:32
prisoners are still at large. I mean, accidental releases, as we've discussed before
5:37
happened on the Tories' watch. There has been a spike recently. David Lammy said yesterday
5:41
that they are on their way down. But what is going on here
5:45
12 accidental releases in the last three weeks. When is this fiasco going to end
5:51
It's a complete and utter shambles, and I have no confidence whatsoever in David Lammy's ability to fix it
5:59
You've got someone being mistakenly released from our prisons every other day right now
6:05
In fact, it's more often than that. David Lammy came before Parliament three weeks ago
6:09
after the criminals were released in error from Chelmsford and Wandsworth Prison
6:14
and said he was putting in place the most robust checks ever
6:18
And the problems actually got worse. There are more people being released now in error
6:22
And he won't be honest with you about who they are, what their crimes are
6:27
and where they are right now in the country. In fact, we only know about these releases
6:32
because he was asked by a journalist on the media the other day. He should be coming before Parliament and telling the public what's going on
6:39
We know that there are at least two manhunts right now for dangerous people
6:44
We don't know who they are or what they've been convicted of. He should be honest with the public and stop hiding what's actually happening
6:52
OK, Robert Jenrick, Shadow Justice Secretary. Good to see you this morning, as always. Thank you very much
6:56
Good to see you and enjoy your birthday, Eamon. Well, I'm enjoying it even more now
7:00
It's been a lovely time. Thank you for your good wishes and thank you for appearing before us today
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