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Alerted by the above from MSM Monitor, I thought I’d find out the answer to those in Scotland who will insist – “Aye it’s just as f*****g bad here, pal!”
It’s not, by no means.
First, England, with sources:
MoJ Partial Data (April 1–October 31, 2025): 91 releases in error, equivalent to ~3 per week. Disclosed by Justice Secretary David Lammy in parliamentary statements and published via MoJ.
- BBC News: More than 90 prisoners freed by mistake since April, November 11, 2025.
- The Guardian: David Lammy says 91 prisoners freed in error, November 12, 2025.
- The Independent: Three prisoners released by mistake every week, November 11, 2025.
Recent Updates (November 1–December 2, 2025): 12 additional releases, with 2 still at large (non-violent/sex offenders). Announced by Lammy amid ongoing investigations.
- BBC News: Twelve more prisoners in England and Wales released in error, December 2, 2025.
- The Guardian: Twelve more prisoners released in error, December 2, 2025.
- Manchester Evening News: Government issues update as two mistakenly released prisoners still at large, December 2, 2025.
So, total for this year so far, From 1 April 2025, 110.
Second, Scotland:
SPS Multi-Year Data (2022–2025): 27 releases in error total (8 in 2022/23, 7 in 2023/24, 9 in 2024/25, 3 up to October 2025). Errors are administrative (e.g., warrant issues); quick recalls via Police Scotland.
- Daily Record: Dozens of prisoners mistakenly released from jails in Scotland since 2022, November 6, 2025.
- The Scotsman: Dozens of prisoners released by mistake in Scotland over last four years, November 6, 2025.
- Scottish Daily Express: SNP humiliated as dozens of prisoners mistakenly freed, November 6, 2025.
- The National: Almost 30 prisoners released by mistake in Scotland since 2022, November 6, 2025.
- The Herald: 27 prisoners mistakenly released in Scotland since 2022, November 6, 2025.
So, 3.
Notice the desperation in the Scottish press to hid the recent figure of 3 among older figures and the lack of evidence of any prisoners released in error in Scotland since October?
Taking into account the 10 to 1 population difference, at 30 to 110, England’s prisons are still releasing nearly 4 times as many prisoners in error.
Sources: https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1996161030662025224
Why is this?
The prisoner-to-prison officer ratio in England, is approximately 3.7:1 as of mid-2025: https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/performance-tracker-2023/prisons
In Scotland, it’s 1.7:1, thus more than twice as well-staffed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7rv9yx0x9o
Click to access SPS_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2024-25.pdf
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Talking-up Scotland 
“Alerted by the above from MSM Monitor, I thought I’d find out the answer to those in Scotland who will insist – “Aye it’s just as f*****g bad here, pal!”
There was also another “alert” that was also by MSM Monitor on ‘X’ today …..
However before I add what he posted, let’s first see what Keir Starmer posted on ‘X’ on the 18 February in respect to Reform UK stating that they would, if in power at WM, reinstate the two child cap.
Starmer posted this:
“Shameful. I’m incredibly proud that this government has scrapped the cruel two child limit. Reform wants to push hundreds of thousands of children into poverty”
Starmer suffering from short term memory loss or selective memory syndrome aka hypocrisy……….
As he was obviously forgetting that he and his Labour government retained this very same Tory policy for nearly two years after coming to power.
Indeed Starmer was so determined that it , as a policy, would and so should be retained, he even suspended 7 Labour MP’s for voting to scrap it when it came to the vote upon it in the HOC……..
Also we all know that he only eventually decided to scrap it for two reasons, one being the huge backlash against it as a cruel policy that kept children in poverty and the other being that he and his Labour government only decided to reverse it , as a blue and red Tory policy, in time for the various elections coming up in May 2026.
As to what MSM Monitor posted today…..well he posted this today:
“Starmer kept the cap in place for almost two years – keeping children in poverty – so they could scrap it in a pre-election stunt”
MSM Monitor also included an interview in 2023 (when the Tories were still in power at WM as the UK government) that was on BBC Radio Scotland with Jackie Baillie being interviewed , where the interviewer said to her in reference to the Tory policy of imposing the two child cap:
“Come the next Scottish election (May 2026) the Labour Manifesto in Scotland will say that it will mitigate , what potentially could be Labour party’s policy at WM. a policy that even the Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions at WM describes as heinous, you will mitigate, you will do what you are asking the Scottish government to do now , you will mitigate” ?
Her response was: “Let me say to you I don’t think we will need to mitigate it because we will have convinced colleagues in UK Labour to scrap the two child Benefit cap “.
Really ?
Well here’s what really , as in actually, happened……….the opposite aka nowt.
So basically yet another broken promise from Labour in Scotland but also another example, if true, that the branch office have absolutely no influence upon Labour HQ policy or decisions. The reverse is the case, as in HQ decides and the branch office must obey and so follow what HQ says.
Of course there were FOI requests made after Labour HQ won the 2024 GE , where it was discovered that Anas Sarwar had never raised either the subject of WASPI women nor Grangemouth Refinery workers with Labour HQ………so what are the chances that he also never bothered raising the subject of removing the two child cap with Labour HQ either………
This is Labour, as a party, at all levels………where they promise us , the public, everything and yet they always then deliver nothing……..
They are a party of empty slogans who , as a party, always fail to change , or have any reset and so then they have no intention of adopting a “new direction” either in or for Scotland……..(if, that is, they ever did get any power at Holyrood……as we all know who it is, within Labour, who really calls the shots).
Not the branch office……..that is for sure.
Breaking news: The polls now suggest that even more Scots may finally be waking up to the indisputable fact that in voting for Labour in any election in Scotland, the result is then felt to be, by the public, that they have wasted their votes, so that then will result in much remorse and also much regret……….to prevent this…..
We are now seeing that more Scots are finally identifying and so then adopting a position that , as voters, they will now via a majority, no longer be fooled any more by the Labour party….
Nor are they , as voters in Scotland, still prepared to be continually conned, taken in by, manipulated and so then gaslit by all of the Labour party’s broken and empty promises…….all spewed up by Labour as a party and then flushed down the pan when they, Labour, gain any power……so are more of us now saying NO THANKS to Labour party slogans, pledges and promises in Scotland
About bloody time………..surely.
Liz S
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