They say that pride comes before a fall – and so it proved today at PMQs. In the wake of the Epping sex offender debacle, James Cartlidge, the Shadow Defence Secretary, opted to lead on the accidental release of prisoners. After forcing David Lammy at the beginning of the session to apologise (again) to the family of Hadush Kebatu’s victim, Cartlidge asked five times in a row whether any other aylum seeker offenders have been inadvertently let out since. Cue Lammy’s expostulation ‘Get a grip man! I know I am the Justice Secretary, that’s why I am at the despatch box’.

But fast forward 30 minutes and the reason for Cartlidge’s line of questioning became apparent: the Metropolitan Police confirmed that a 24-year-old Algerian asylum seeker was accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth last W

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