Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood have issued apologies after a hot mic captured them joking about the government’s early prisoner release scheme. The comments, which labeled new Justice Secretary Alex Norris “the enemy,” were published by Guido Fawkes, drawing swift criticism from the Conservative leadership.
The Hot Mic Exchange
The controversy centers on a video clip captured while Justice Secretary Alex Norris approached his Cabinet colleagues, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. In the recording, published by the news website Guido Fawkes, Streeting is heard calling Norris “the enemy now.” When Mahmood interjects to say “no he’s not,” Streeting continues, stating, he wants to let them all out.
The exchange was a reference to the government’s emergency policy to release prisoners early, a measure implemented in 2024 to address severe overcrowding within the prison system. The policy allows prisoners on standard determined sentences to be released after serving one-third of their term, while those convicted of violent or sexual offenses are eligible for release at the halfway point.
Apologies and Political Defense
Both ministers took to X to apologize for the levity of the exchange, emphasizing that the comments were not intended to minimize the gravity of the justice system’s challenges. Streeting characterized the remark as a ribbing of the new justice secretary and compared it to a historical anecdote involving former ministers.
“I hope everyone can see there was no ill intent behind this ribbing of the new justice secretary – it was a reference to an old May/Clarke joke. But I appreciate these are very serious issues and am sorry for any offence inadvertently caused by this moment of levity.”
Photo: mirror.co.uk
Wes Streeting, Defence Secretary
Streeting referenced a 2017 comment by Theresa May, who had famously remarked regarding Ken Clarke, When I was home secretary, I used to say ‘I locked ’em up and he let ’em out’. For her part, Mahmood defended the comments as a joke between colleagues while highlighting the context of the current administration’s workload.
“I think everyone can see there was no ill intent behind this ribbing of the new Lord Chancellor – a role I once filled and which comes with immense challenges thanks to the vandalism inflicted on our justice system by the last Conservative government.”
Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary
Conservative Party Reaction
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch seized on the footage to attack the government’s policy, which her party opposes. Badenoch criticized the ministers for making light of the situation, stating on X: While Andy Burnham’s cabinet are joking about letting criminals out of prison early, Conservatives are listening to victims and will continue to fight this disgusting policy.
Government Stance on Prison Capacity
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander defended the ministers’ apology, noting that the remarks did not reflect the seriousness with which the government approaches public safety. Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, Alexander explained the necessity of the early release measures, noting that at one point, the Prison Governors’ Association warned that jails were days away from running out of space.
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Alexander, who served as a justice minister in the summer of 2024, stated that the government faced a situation where the courts could not sentence offenders because no prison spaces were available, effectively halting the ability of police to make arrests. While the government maintains these measures were essential to ensure the functionality of the criminal justice system, the political fallout from the hot mic incident underscores the ongoing sensitivity surrounding the early release scheme and its impact on public perception of law and order.
