PRISONS are prepared for a summer of unrest, the Justice Secretary has said.
Shabana Mahmood said she would not let the country run out of prison cells.
AFPShabana Mahmood’s pledge comes after police warned they were not ready for more violent disorder after protests flared up in Epping around an asylum hotel[/caption]
AlamyJustice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would not let the country run out of prison cells in the event of unrest this summer[/caption]
Sir Keir Starmer is worried about a repeat of last year’s riots in the wake of the Southport murders.
And he has demanded urgent action from Cabinet ministers to repair “fraying” Britain.
Ms Mahmood said on a visit to Oxford: “We were very close to running out of prison places entirely over [last] summer.
“I’ve been making the hard decisions to get us to a position where long term the prison system is sustainable and we’re not in that position where we’re grappling with prison capacity and concerned that we might not have enough.
“I’m confident we’ve taken the decisions that mean that we will always be able to respond.
“I’m not going to let us run out of prison places and I will make sure that whatever happens – government ministers can’t predict the future – but our job is to make sure that we are capable of responding in the way that the public would expect.
“I’m confident we are in that position.”
It comes after police warned they were not ready for more violent disorder after protests flared up in Epping around an asylum hotel.
Head of the Police Federation Tiff Lynch said cops would be dragged away from neighbourhood duties to keep the peace at anti-migrant protests.
Ms Mahmood added: “Peaceful protest in this country is an absolute right that people have, and there is nothing wrong with peaceful, passionate protests, that is entirely in line with who we are as a democracy.
“But if you break the law, you will face the full force of the law.”
GettySir Keir Starmer has raised fears of fresh riots like those sparked by the Southport murders and urged ministers to urgently fix a ‘fraying’ Britain[/caption]
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
