Hot mic catches Labour ministers joking about early prisoner release

Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood were caught on a hot mic joking about Labour’s early prisoner-release policy at drinks for new Cabinet appointees. Streeting was heard saying, “You know he’s the enemy now, Justice Shabana?” and “He wants to let them all out,” before Mahmood replied, “No he’s not!” Streeting later apologised after the remarks were heard.

The exchange landed in the middle of a politically sensitive row over prison overcrowding in England and Wales. Labour’s emergency early-release scheme began in September 2024, and official figures later showed almost 40,000 prisoners had been released early since then. At one point, more than 1,700 prisoners were out early under the scheme, while the government was also releasing another 1,100 prisoners early as part of its emergency plan.

Parliamentary material had already put the scale of the pressure into focus, saying there were around 87,000 prisoners in England in 2024. That backdrop has made the release policy a live test of whether ministers can show discipline on justice, sentencing and public safety while dealing with a system stretched by overcrowding.

Mahmood had already tried to ease the pressure when she was justice secretary, announcing measures in May 2025 that included changes to recall conditions for some prisoners. But the policy has drawn criticism from senior police and security figures, including the head of the Met Police and an MI5 boss, who raised concerns about public safety in a letter to the Ministry of Justice.

The scheme has also triggered anger from crime and victim-focused commentators, especially after some victims were not warned when prisoners were released early. With Alex Norris now in the justice brief, the hot-mic comments added a fresh layer of embarrassment for Labour at a time when ministers need to convince the public that emergency prison measures are being handled with seriousness, not as a punchline.