Politics latest news: Michael Gove is the last person I’d take advice from, says Jenrick
Updated 4:52 PM Oct. 22, 2024
Robert Jenrick has rejected Michael Gove’s claim that he would be vulnerable as Conservative leader because the country has had enough of “Tory boys”.
Mr Gove said of Mr Jenrick last week: “I think one of his weaknesses is that he looks like a typical Tory politician.”
Asked about the comment this morning, Mr Jenrick told BBC Breakfast with a laugh: “The last person that I would take advice from in a leadership contest, I think, is Michael Gove.”
He added: “I don’t consider myself to be a ‘Tory boy’, no, absolutely. I want the Conservative Party to be the trade union of working people right across this country.”
Mr Gove has endorsed Mr Jenrick’s Tory leadership rival Kemi Badenoch.
He ran for the Tory leadership in 2016 and 2019 but he finished in third place both times. He stepped down as a Tory MP at the last general election.
Second wave of early prisoner release will be final wave, says No 10
Today’s emergency release of inmates to prevent overcrowding in prisons is the final tranche of the current early release scheme, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman has said.
“Today marks the second and final release of prisoners under that scheme in order to address the position of the Government inherited when it came into office where it was facing a complete paralysis the criminal justice system,” he said.
Asked if there could be another scheme for future early releases, he said the Government would now focus instead on reforms to the criminal justice system.
“The Government’s focus … is now on the reforms to sentencing, to building prison places such that we do not end up in the situation that this Government ended up in when it came into office, where there was risks of police not being able to make the arrests that they needed, and risks that the criminal justice system was going to collapse.”
Sentencing review to submit findings by spring next year
Shabana Mahmood told the Cabinet today that the Government’s new review of sentencing, led by David Gauke, will submit its findings by the spring of next year.
The Justice Secretary said the review will focus on three specific things, according to a No 10 readout of what was discussed at the meeting.
“She said this review would be based on three principles: first to make sure prison sentences punish serious offenders and there is always enough spaces to lock up those who need to be and keep the public safe; second we need to improve rehabilitation in and out of prison, given 90 per cent of custodial sentences are reoffenders; third we need to expand and explore tougher punishments available outside of prison. The review will submit its findings in full to the Lord Chancellor by spring 2025.”