Shabana Mahmood will accuse Zack Polanksi of pursuing a “fairytale of open borders” as she unveils her controversial crackdown on immigration.
The home secretary will say the Green Party leader wants to introduce “the most expensive and expansive migration policies anywhere in the world” if he becomes prime minister.
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Mahmood will also take on left-wing Labour MPs who wanted her to water down her plans to make it harder for immigrants to stay in the UK in the wake of the party’s humiliation in last week’s Gorton and Denton by-election.
Mahmood will insist that “restoring order and control at our border is not a betrayal of Labour values, it is an embodiment of them” and say it is the only way to halt the rise of the far-right.
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Asylum seekers who break the law or work illegally will be thrown out of taxpayer-funded accommodation and lose their benefits, the home secretary will announce as part of her package of reforms.
They will also have their refugee status reviewed every 30 months in an effort to make the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants.
In a major speech, she will say: “Some say that we should turn to the path proposed by the Greens. That we should create a world without borders, that nation states are social constructs and patriotism is a dirty word.
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“To some, this might seem like harmless student politics. But the danger and the possible damage is real. A party leader who seeks the highest office in the land should not be on the beaches of France helping migrants onto small boats encouraging them to make a perilous crossing.
“Creating further incentives to come to this country illegally, increasing the already vast burden placed on taxpayers in this country. Polanski calls for the most expensive and expansive migration policies anywhere in the world.”
Cracking down on small boat crossings will put Labour on the side of ordinary voters, the home secretary will say.
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“When people see small boat arrivals, at their current scale or they feel the pace and scale of migration today, they feel like we have lost control,” she will say.
“A loss of control breeds fear and when fearful, people turn inwards. Their vision of this country narrows. Their patriotism turns into something smaller, something darker, an ethno-nationalism emerges.
“The idea of a greater Britain gives way to the lure of a littler England. And other voices – voices to the far right – take hold.”
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Addressing criticism that she had gone too far in her desire to make the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants, Mahmood will say her reforms will offer “a compassionate but controlled asylum system”.
“Providing sanctuary to those genuinely fleeing persecution while striking at the vile smuggling gangs and restoring order at the border,” she will say. “Ensuring the right to live in this country forever is there, for those who seek a better life which comes with responsibilities to contribute to our national life.”
The Home Office announced on Sunday that it would be granting police forces new powers to put conditions on repeat demonstrations.
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That means if a protest has taken place at the same site for weeks on end and caused “repeated disorder”, officers could force organisers to hold the event elsewhere.
The Home Office said anyone who breaches these conditions risk arrest and prosecution.
It comes after the Met Police arrested nearly 500 people at protest against the proscription of the Palestine Action group in London on Saturday.
The march went ahead despite calls from the government and the police for the protests to be postponed out of respect for Thursday’s deadly synagogue attack in Manchester where two people were killed.
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Home secretary Shabana Mahmood said current legislation is also being reviewed to make sure it is being applied fully.
Mahmood said: “The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country. However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of their neighbours to live their lives without fear.”
She added: “Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes.
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“This has been particularly evident in relation to the considerable fear within the Jewish community, which has been expressed to me on many occasions in these recent difficult days.”
Speaking on LBC, the home secretary defended the new measures and insisted it was a good use of police time.
She said: “I have no truck with this argument that suggest that police resources are better deployed elsewhere, enabling mass criminality by people who have a political point to make.”
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LBC presenter Lewis Goodall said that human rights organisations are starting to accuse Britain of “showing authoritarian tendency” by arresting people for doing nothing more than “holding up placard”.
She replied: “What Britain is doing is making sure the law of our land is maintained.
“It is not ‘holding up a placard’, and I really must pick you up on that, Lewis, in holding up a placard, you are breaking the law because you are supporting a proscribed organisation.”
Shabana Mahmood denies that the government is showing signs of ‘authoritarianism’ as they continue to clamp down on peaceful protest. pic.twitter.com/FzByKvbPVb
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Shabana Mahmood denies that the government is showing signs of ‘authoritarianism’ as they continue to clamp down on peaceful protest. pic.twitter.com/FzByKvbPVb
Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, who used to be Labour leader, described the crackdown as a “disgraceful assault on the right to protest”.
Many other critics compared it to the Conservatives’ enhancement of police powers during their time in office, and claimed Labour were “giving the incoming Reform government everything they could wish for”.
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Jeremy Corbyn","author_url":"https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn","cache_age":86400,"description":"A disgraceful assault on the right to protest. The UK government is complicit in genocide. Anyone who understands the meaning of these words knows full well why we continue to speak out.See you on 11 October for the largest demonstration for Palestine in British history. https://t.co/5ut9TV5wIy— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 5, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1974788815261999220","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-accused-of-being-worse-than-tories-amid-new-protest-clampdown_uk_68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","entryTagsList":"lbc,shabana-mahmood","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"LBC","slug":"lbc","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lbc","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc"},"relegenceId":3547103,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc/"},{"name":"shabana mahmood","slug":"shabana-mahmood","links":{"relativeLink":"news/shabana-mahmood","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"backfillRelatedArticles":[],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["
I can’t possibly see this being misused! Zero chance that people who don’t like pro Palestine protests will see their own causes affected! There’s no chance whatsoever that the government could seek to clamp down on protests on domestic issues! https://t.co/23w7Eh1T48
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Christopher Waller","author_url":"https://twitter.com/christhebull","cache_age":86400,"description":"I can’t possibly see this being misused! Zero chance that people who don’t like pro Palestine protests will see their own causes affected! There’s no chance whatsoever that the government could seek to clamp down on protests on domestic issues! https://t.co/23w7Eh1T48— Christopher Waller (@christhebull) October 5, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Christopher Waller on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/christhebull/status/1974763198206362001","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-accused-of-being-worse-than-tories-amid-new-protest-clampdown_uk_68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","entryTagsList":"lbc,shabana-mahmood","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"LBC","slug":"lbc","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lbc","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc"},"relegenceId":3547103,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc/"},{"name":"shabana mahmood","slug":"shabana-mahmood","links":{"relativeLink":"news/shabana-mahmood","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"backfillRelatedArticles":[],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["
I can’t possibly see this being misused! Zero chance that people who don’t like pro Palestine protests will see their own causes affected! There’s no chance whatsoever that the government could seek to clamp down on protests on domestic issues! https://t.co/23w7Eh1T48
Remember – the restrictions on free speech that you support for those who you disagree with, will one day be used to restrict your free speech. https://t.co/fZS41KCCd3
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Remember – the restrictions on free speech that you support for those who you disagree with, will one day be used to restrict your free speech. https://t.co/fZS41KCCd3
The right to protest is what defines us as a democratic society. Protests, though sometimes inconvenient or disruptive, are a fundamental right of British citizens. There will be times when we disagree with a cause or how it is expressed, but enforcing laws that restrict protest… https://t.co/Lc2Y40F700
","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Rebecca Ferguson MBE","author_url":"https://twitter.com/RebeccaFMusic","cache_age":86400,"description":"The right to protest is what defines us as a democratic society. Protests, though sometimes inconvenient or disruptive, are a fundamental right of British citizens. There will be times when we disagree with a cause or how it is expressed, but enforcing laws that restrict protest… https://t.co/Lc2Y40F700— Rebecca Ferguson MBE (@RebeccaFMusic) October 5, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Rebecca Ferguson MBE on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/RebeccaFMusic/status/1974787468005195953","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/labour-accused-of-being-worse-than-tories-amid-new-protest-clampdown_uk_68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","entryTagsList":"lbc,shabana-mahmood","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"68e243d9e4b0d3ae4b89ff22","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"LBC","slug":"lbc","links":{"relativeLink":"news/lbc","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc"},"relegenceId":3547103,"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lbc/"},{"name":"shabana mahmood","slug":"shabana-mahmood","links":{"relativeLink":"news/shabana-mahmood","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/shabana-mahmood/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"backfillRelatedArticles":[],"cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":false,"bodyAds":["
The right to protest is what defines us as a democratic society. Protests, though sometimes inconvenient or disruptive, are a fundamental right of British citizens. There will be times when we disagree with a cause or how it is expressed, but enforcing laws that restrict protest… https://t.co/Lc2Y40F700
Gauke, who was justice secretary himself when Theresa May was prime minister, will report his findings next spring.
The sentencing review comes in the wake of the crisis which saw the government release thousands of prisoners early to free up space in England’s jails.
Gauke, who was one of 21 Tory MPs stripped of the party whip by Boris Johnson after rebelling over Brexit, said: “Clearly, our prisons are not working.
“The prison population is increasing by around 4,500 every year, and nearly 90% of those sentenced to custody are reoffenders.
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“This review will explore what punishment and rehabilitation should look like in the 21st century, and how we can move our justice system out of crisis and towards a long-term, sustainable future.”
Gauke, who stood as an independent at the 2019 election but lost his seat to the Conservatives, has previously said that prison sentences of less than six months should be scrapped.
The review will look at “tough alternatives to custody” while also ensuring the worst offenders continue to be locked up, the Ministry of Justice said.
Mahmood said the review “will ensure we never again have more prisoners than prison spaces”.
She said: “I believe in punishment. I believe in prison, but I also believe that we must increase the range of punishments we use. And that those prisoners who earn the right to turn their lives around should be encouraged to do so.
“The sentencing review will make sure prison and punishment work – and that there is always a cell waiting for dangerous offenders.”
Labour today said the bitter Tory leadership race was providing them with a “wealth of material” ahead of the next election.
Shabana Mahmood, Labour’s national campaign coordinator, said they would “fulsomely” take advantage of the Tories “trashing their own record”.
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She described both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss as “continuity Johnson” and said she was “happy” to face either at the next general election.
The MP for Birmingham Ladywood said she will be able to tell voters on the doorstep to just listen to the Tories criticising their own record.
In an exclusive interview with HuffPost UK, Mahmood said: “They are giving us a wealth of material, we are obviously using some now and we’ll have plans for more later as the contest progresses and as we gear up for the next general election – whenever that might be.
“We would prefer an earlier election because Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are proving every day that they are just more of the same.
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“Neither has the answers that the country needs to move forward post-pandemic, neither has the answers on the economy.
“They are just brutally exposing – not just each other – but 12 years of Tory government that has led us to this moment.
“As far as we’re concerned bring on an early general election. As soon as this contest is done they should seek a fresh mandate.”
The vicious battle for No.10 has even prompted Tory grandees to warn the Conservatives they risk being called the “nasty party” again and losing the next election.
“I’ll be able to say to people on the doorstep ‘you don’t have to take my word for it anymore folks just listen to them’. The trashing of their own record, I think that you’d expect us to take advantage of that which we will be doing so fulsomely.”
– Shabana Mahmood
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Earlier in the contest Truss and Sunak pulled out of a Sky News debate amid concerns about the damage they were doing to the party’s reputation, forcing the other candidates to follow suit.
But, despite warnings, the unedifying public slanging match has continued between the final candidates and their campaign teams.
Asked if she thought Tory infighting would help Labour win the next election, Mahmood said: “We’re going to be ready for that election whenever it comes.”
However, she said it was on the Labour Party to persuade the public to switch their votes and that they had to show the public they had “changed” and had the answers on the economy and cost of living crisis.
“The Tories are doing an even better job of trashing their own record than we could do or get a hearing on,” she added.
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“They’re taking primetime broadcast slots to tear lumps out of each other.”
Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner, leader Keir Starmer and national campaign coordinator Shabana Mahmood.
JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images
Mahmood said the “vicious infighting” brought back memories of some of Labour’s rowing in recent years.
But she added: “The public never appreciates it and they never reward it at the polls either.
“The Labour Party learnt that lesson in the hardest of ways in 2019, we don’t propose to go there again.”
Mahmood said just pointing to the Tories would not be enough and they did not take the electorate for fools: “We know we’ve got to win their trust back.”
She said Labour was earning the right to be heard again, adding: “It’s on us to seal the deal with the electorate.”
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All your bills going up and up and up.
Taxes rising to the highest level in 70 years.
The worst economic crisis for a generation.
Not our words.
The words of those running to be the next Tory leader.
Lord Fowler, who served under Margaret Thatcher and is now a crossbench peer, described Monday night’s BBC debate as “a bad night for the Conservatives”.
He told Times Radio the only people who might have been happy with the outcome would have been the Labour Party, adding: “They’ve got enough clips from that programme to last them through to the next election.”
Yesterday culture secretary Nadine Dorries, who is backing Truss, criticised Sunak for wearing a £3,500 suit and £450 Prada shoes.
Dorries said Truss “will be travelling the country wearing her earrings which cost circa £4.50 from Claire’s Accessories”.
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The comments prompted veterans minister Johnny Mercer to warn that the party was putting success at the next election in jeopardy.
“The puerile nature of this leadership contest is embarrassing,” he said. “Time to raise the standards.”
The Labour party is already weaponising quotes, viral clips and images from the Tory leadership debates on their social media accounts.
They include a “Tory leadership bingo” card that cites “shaking the magic money tree” and “Thatcherite cosplay”.
They also created an advert in which they spliced together clips of Tory leadership candidates tearing strips off of each other over their record in government.
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“All your bills, every week, every month, they’re going up and up and up,” Sunak says in one part of the video.
“Under your plans, we are predicted to have a recession,” Truss tells Sunak in another clip.
Labour leader Keir Starmer even quoted leadership candidates at Boris Johnson during their final prime minister’s questions.
He said: “She [Liz Truss] also said the former chancellor’s 15 tax rises are leading the country into recession and [Penny Mordaunt] was even more scathing.
“She said ‘our public services are in a desperate state, we can’t continue with what we’ve been doing because it clearly isn’t working’.
“Has the prime minister told her who’s been running our public services for the last 12 years?”
Sunak claimed there is “nothing Conservative” about Truss’s approach to cutting taxes and pumping up borrowing, arguing it would give the party “absolutely no chance” of winning the next election.
Foreign secretary Truss, in turn, suggested her rival would lead the country into a recession and criticised him for increasing taxes to the “highest rate in 70 years”.
During the debate a spokesman for Truss told The Times that Sunak was not fit for office, adding: “His aggressive mansplaining and shouty private school behaviour is desperate, unbecoming and is a gift to Labour.”
