Wokingham MP Clive Jones has criticised 99 Conservative MPs who voted against changes aimed at keeping people convicted of serious offences in prison for longer.
The vote, held on 10 December, concerned a statutory instrument designed to close loopholes in the government’s SDS40 early release scheme. The measures would have exempted six additional offences from eligibility for early release, including breaching stalking protection orders, sexual harm prevention orders, so-called “revenge porn” offences, and murder.
Despite opposition from the 99 Conservative MPs, the changes were approved in the House of Commons with the support of the Liberal Democrats.
The SDS40 scheme allows certain prisoners to be released before completing their full sentence, but has faced criticism after offenders convicted of serious crimes were found to be eligible for early release.
Clive Jones, the Liberal Democrat MP for Wokingham, said the vote showed a failure to protect victims and communities.
“The last Conservative government drove our prisons to breaking point,” he said. “We are now seeing the consequences of their failures with the early release scheme – and victims, survivors and communities in Wokingham are paying the price.
“It adds insult to injury that so many Conservative MPs voted against exempting more dangerous criminals from this early release scheme, including some stalkers and even murderers.”
The Liberal Democrats say they are taking further steps to tighten the law around early release. The party’s justice spokesperson, Josh Babarinde MP, has introduced the Domestic Abuse (Aggravated Offences) Bill, which would create a new category of domestic abuse-related aggravated offences.
The party argues that this would prevent some domestic abusers from qualifying for early release under SDS40 due to the broad nature of existing offences.
The Liberal Democrats are seeking cross-party support for the bill ahead of its second reading in January.
