Starmer: Early prison release to carry on 'in all likelihood'

The Labour leader has said that there has been an "absolute failure” in prison building and half of the allocated money had not been spent by the present government.

Sir Keir Starmer told BBC political editor Chris Mason that “in all likelihood” a new Labour administration would have to carry on with early prison releases as it could not “magic up” new prisons on day one.

In May, the government said some prisoners would be freed up to 70 days early, after a scheme aimed at tackling overcrowding in jails in England and Wales was extended.