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Politics latest: Badenoch slams 'shambles of a government' as second foreign prisoner wrongly released

Another foreign prisoner is on the run after being mistakenly released, Paste BN has learnt. The error at HMP Wandsworth in south London happened on 29 October. Responding to the news, Kemi Badenoch said the government is "a shambles".

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Nvidia boss defends AI against claims of bubble by 'Big Short' investor

By Tim Baker, political reporter

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang has told Paste BN the AI sector is a "long, long away" from a Big Short-style collapse.

Speaking outside Downing Street following a roundtable with government and other industry figures, the head of the world's first $5tn company defended his sector from criticism by investor Michael Burry.

Mr Burry and his firm, Scion Capital, gained notoriety for "shorting" - betting against - the US housing market ahead of the 2008 financial crash.

He was portrayed by Christian Bale in the 2015 film The Big Short, which also starred Steve Carell, Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling.

Earlier this week, filings revealed Mr Burry has now bet against Nvidia and on social media, he has suggested there is a bubble in the sector.

Some $500bn was wiped off technology stocks overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, Bloomberg reported.

Could we see Lammy back in the Commons today?

Could we see Justice Secretary David Lammy back in the Commons, talking to MPs about the foreign offender who's been wrongly released?

Conservative MPs are furious with the government, after Lammy (also the deputy PM) refused to answer whether this was the case five times, despite repeated questions from James Cartlidge.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's spokesperson has said Lammy should make a statement "as soon as possible".

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have said the public deserve "a full explanation" and that he should come "back before parliament this afternoon".

It's also understood that Lammy learned overnight about the 24-year-old being wrongly released.

But he believed it would have been irresponsible to talk about the mistaken release of a second foreign prisoner while details were still emerging, it is understood. 

So, could Lammy either be dragged back to the chamber, or choose to make a statement?

In short, it's possible - but only if the justice secretary volunteers.

It's too late for MPs to demand an 'urgent question' on the issue, which is a parliamentary device used to summon a minister to the chamber to talk about a particular issue and to answer questions. 

MPs must request one of these from the Speaker two hours before the House begins sitting for the day.

That deadline has clearly passed, so he cannot be summoned back to the Commons today. 

Both the Commons and the Lords are also not sitting from this evening for several days, as they enter the autumn recess.

It means the next time MPs could ask the speaker for an urgent question would be on Tuesday morning.

What about if Lammy volunteers to come back to answer questions?

In theory, the justice secretary could make a statement to the Commons, before MPs rise for recess this evening.

So, it might be possible to hear from Lammy - but don't hold your breath.

Lammy told overnight about prisoner being mistakenly released - before DPMQs

David Lammy knew that a foreign offender had been mistakenly released from prison when he attended deputy PMQs, it is understood. 

The justice secretary was informed overnight about the development, Sky understands. 

But Lammy, also the deputy PM, felt it would be irresponsible for him to talk about the case while details were emerging.

This is why he declined to answer questions about whether a foreign offender had been accidentally released when pressed by the shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge. 

In his statement, Lammy has also confirmed that the Metropolitan Police began to search for the 24-year-old Algerian man overnight, after they were informed by the Prison Service yesterday.

This was six days after the man was first let out of HMP Wandsworth, though it appears the Met was only informed yesterday.

Cartlidge asks Lammy 'when he was planning to tell the rest of us' about wrongly released prisoner

The shadow defence secretary has asked David Lammy to say "when" he was "planning to tell the rest of us" about a foreign offender who was wrongly released from prison last week.

James Cartlidge pressed the deputy PM and justice secretary five times at DPMQs on whether there had been another "asylum seeker offender" that had been mistakenly released.

Lammy declined to answer, although he told Cartlidge to "get a grip".

Now it has been confirmed that a 24-year-old was released from HMP Wandsworth in error on 29 October, just five days after convicted paedophile Hadush Kebatu was mistakenly freed from HMP Chelmsford. 

Cartlidge has said: "David Lammy - Now that we know the answer to my question… Can you tell me when you knew and when you were planning to tell the rest of us?"

Lammy has since said he is "absolutely outraged and appalled by the mistaken release" and that the Metropolitan Police is leading "an urgent manhunt".

Tories and Lib Dems demand Lammy return to parliament to speak on released sex offender

The Tories and Lib Dems have called on Justice Secretary David Lammy to return to the House of Commons to answer questions on the accidentally released foreign offender.

It comes after he dodged questions from the shadow defence secretary during deputy Prime Minister's Questions this lunchtime.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch's spokesman told reporters: "I think he should a statement as soon as possible."

He added: "I think, given that he had five opportunities to tell the House and the public what the hell was going on and ducked those opportunities, he needs to come back to the House as soon as possible."

The Lib Dems' justice spokesperson Jess Brown-Fuller MP also joined the calls, saying: "This is yet another grave mistake from the government. The public deserves a full explanation about how this happened again. 

"This should start with David Lammy coming before parliament this afternoon for why he failed to answer this pressing question in PMQs as well as a full explanation of how it took almost a week for this to come to light."

She added that the situation "would be laughable if the situation weren't so dangerous".

Lammy 'outraged and appalled' by second foreign offender being mistakenly released

Justice Secretary David Lammy has now issued a statement, following the mistaken release of yet another foreign offender from prison.

It follows sex offender Hadush Kebatu being wrongly released last month, before being recaptured and deported.

The deputy PM said: "I am absolutely outraged and appalled by the mistaken release of a foreign criminal wanted by the police. 

"The Metropolitan Police is leading an urgent manhunt, and my officials have been working through the night to take him back to prison.

"Victims deserve better and the public deserve answers. That is why I have already brought in the strongest checks ever to clamp down on such failures and ordered an independent investigation, led by Dame Lynne Owens to uncover what went wrong and address the rise in accidental releases which has persisted for too long.

"This latest incident exposes deeper flaws across the failing criminal justice system we inherited. 

"Dame Lynne Owens’ investigation will leave no stone unturned to identify these issues, so we can fix them, improve safeguards and ensure the public is properly protected."

It's understood that Lammy knew about the incident when he entered DPMQ's, but declined to answer the question when asked by the Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartridge.

It is worth noting, though, that the Tory politician asked Lammy about any "asylum seeker offenders" being wrongly released. 

It is understood the man who has been mistakenly let out is not an asylum seeker.

'Total farce', says Farage

Nigel Farage has just reacted to the news that a second foreign offender has been wrongly released, and a manhunt is under way.

Lammy knew about wrongly released prisoner when he refused to answer at DPMQs

David Lammy was aware that a second foreign offender had been wrongly released when he stood in the Commons and refused to answer the question, Paste BN understands. 

Our national correspondent Tom Parmenter says: "I understand that David Lammy, the justice Secretary, did know about this release before he stood up in the Commons and was pressed on the issue by the Conservatives."

The deputy prime minister refused to answer five times about whether he knew of any other foreign national offenders being released.

It follows Hadush Kebatu being accidentally freed from prison last month, leading to a three-day manhunt in an embarrassment for the government.

Earlier this afternoon, a spokesperson for Number 10 said they were unaware of whether Lammy knew in advance of deputy PMQs. 

It is worth noting, though, that James Cartlidge asked Lammy about whether an "asylum seeker offender" has been wrongly released. 

But it is understood the man who has been mistakenly let out is not an asylum seeker.

Starmer not aware of second foreign offender being wrongly released, No 10 suggests

The prime minister was not aware of the second foreign offender being wrongly released from prison until the Metropolitan Police issued a statement, Downing Street has suggested.

A Number 10 spokesperson told reporters: "The Met have released a statement, I think in the last few minutes."

They added that "one mistaken release is one too many" and that the case was "utterly unacceptable".

The spokesperson could not say when Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy became aware of the release, after he refused to answer multiple questions in the Chamber on whether another asylum-seeking offender had been mistakenly freed from prison since Hadush Kebatu.

Wrongful release is 'utterly unacceptable', says No. 10

The spokesperson also said the mistake was "utterly unacceptable", and sought to blame the Conservatives.

They said: "We have been very open about the chaos that this government has inherited. 

"The fact that jails were full to the point of capacity. Urgent action has been needed to do exactly that, to restore faith in the justice system.

"We've been very clear as well there is no overnight fix."

They continued: "We completely accept that this type of case is utterly unacceptable and needs to be dealt with, and the system needs to be reformed, and the appropriate checks need to be in place to stop this type of thing from ever happening.

"The public will rightly view any mistaken release of a prisoner from custody onto the streets as unacceptable.

"It's importance the police are given the time and space to bring him back into custody. And we will look into the circumstances behind this as a matter of urgency."

The case will also be investigated as part of a wider review being carried out by Dame Lynne Owens, the spokesperson added.

The prime minister has 'total confidence' in Lammy following DPMQs, Number 10 says

Number 10 has insisted that Sir Keir Starmer has "full confidence" in David Lammy.

It follows the deputy PM and justice secretary standing in for the PM at deputy prime minister's questions (DPMQs), where he refused to answer a question five times, telling the Tory opposite to "get a grip".

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge asked Lammy five times if any other "asylum seeker offenders" had been wrongly released, following convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu being mistakenly let out of prison last month.

Lammy didn't answer the question, instead attacking the Conservatives' record in government on prisons.

"I have not witnessed a more shameful spectacle, frankly, for what the party opposite left in our justice system. Their criminal negligence on his watch," he said. 

But seconds after PMQs ended, it was confirmed that a second foreign offender has indeed been released mistakenly - and has actually been on the run for a week.

Speaking to journalists following DPMQs, a spokesperson for Number 10 insisted that Starmer has "full confidence" in Lammy for his performance, and declined to give him a mark out of 10.

"I'm here to answer Questions and not give appraisals", the spokeserson said. 

"The deputy PM stepped in today and answered questions and the PM is grateful to him for his work."

The spokesperson also refused to say if Lammy knew about the wrongly released prisoner before PMQs, and repeateldy pointed journalists to the Ministry of Justice and the Metropolitan Police, who were informed by the Prison Service that the man is missing.

They said the prime minister is being "kept updated".