David Lammy asks Amber Rudd to carry out review of prisons

Deputy prime minister David Lammy is to unveil respected former Tory cabinet minister Amber Rudd to review the prison system.

With Labour still trying to tackle an overcrowding crisis in prisons in England and Wales despite a controversial early release scheme, Mr Lammy, who is also the justice secretary, has turned to the former Tory home secretary to find solutions.

A source told The Independent that the review will look at how the prison system can keep the public safe but also modernise prisons to deal with new threats such as drone deliveries “which have become very sophisticated”.

Ms Rudd will also be asked to explore how to cut crime through training and making ex-offenders better connected to modern employment.

A prison source said: “Amber Rudd is a serious instinctive politician who is not afraid of ruffling feathers to get what she sees as right. She saw through Boris Johnson and was not afraid to do so and we hope she will not hesitate from trying to right the many wrongs in the system.”

The Rudd review will also look at the prisons estate, particularly how old Victorian prisons in city centres should be replaced by modern buildings which can deliver training and security, as well as be safer for the public and guards.

This is the second time that the Labour government has recently turned to a former Conservative cabinet minister to attempt to create a cross party consensus.

Former Tory justice secretary David Gauke was asked to carry out a sentencing review to see how best to deal with criminals and tackle over crowding in prisons.

Ms Rudd’s acceptance to carry out the review will also be a problem for current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch because it undermines her attacks on the Labour government.

Amber Rudd, 62, was home secretary under Theresa May between 2016 and 2018. She also served as work and pensions secretary for Mr Johnson before resigning in protest over a number of Tory MPs losing the whip because of their opposition to Brexit.

The move by Mr Lammy comes as one of the final acts of the Keir Starmer government with the prime minister after the prime minister announced on Monday that he will resign next month.

There has been some controversy over his decision to plough on with plans despite the fact he is preparing to go.

The prisons review will now join the Defence Investment Plan (Dip) in things that Sir Keir will be pressing ahead with.

Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor who returned to parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election last week, is now the overwhelming favourite to take over as Labour leader and prime minister.

It is understood he will back the Rudd review which is set to take many months before coming back with its conclusions.

Meanwhile, there are question marks over whether Mr Lammy will survive as a cabinet minister if Mr Burnham makes it into No 10, which could be as early as 17 July.

The justice secretary has also been pressing ahead with a controversial reorganisation of the courts including watering down the right to a jury trial based on the Gauke review.

Labour MPs are already pressing Mr Burnham to reverse the plans to reduce the right to a jury trial and bring back MP Karl Turner who was suspended from the party over his opposition to the proposal.