PMQs: Keir Starmer attacks Rishi Sunak over courts backlog

Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Conservatives of losing control of court services and letting violent criminals go free because of record backlogs.

The Labour leader said the Tories had taken a "wrecking ball" to the criminal justice system.

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sir Keir was "soft on criminals".

He added that his party had toughened up sentencing powers so criminals spent longer in prison.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir attacked Mr Sunak personally for the state of the criminal justice system.

"Can't the prime minister see because they have lost control of the court service, because they have created the largest court backlog on record, he is letting violent criminals go free?" the Labour leader asked.

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Crown Courts in England and Wales ended last year with a backlog of 61,737 cases - the highest year-end figure on record, although down from a peak in the autumn.

But Mr Sunak hit back, accusing Sir Keir of watering down punishments when he sat on the sentencing council, which issues guidelines to courts, in his previous role as director of public prosecutions.

"That's why they call him Sir Softy. Soft on crime. Soft on criminals," he added.

Sir Keir also highlighted the case of a convicted people-smuggler who threw boiling water over a prison officer in 2019, leaving him with first-degree burns.

The individual was not jailed for the attack as he was given a suspended sentence.

The Labour leader referenced a court judgement from last month, which cited the fact it took 16 months for the attacker to be charged and two years for him to be sentenced, as well as prison overcrowding, as among the reasons for the decision.

Sir Keir described the circumstances of the case as "completely unacceptable", adding: "Anyone watching this would wonder why someone who violently attacks a key worker isn't behind bars."

Mr Sunak responded by criticising Labour for voting against the Sentencing Act last year, which ended automatic early release for the most serious violent offenders half-way through their sentence.

It comes after Labour put out a number of adverts on Twitter last week, attacking Mr Sunak's record on crime.

One advert, which claimed the prime minister did not think adults convicted of child sex assaults should go to prison, attracted controversy and was criticised by opposition parties and some Labour figures.

Labour has sought to make crime a focus of its campaigning ahead of May's local elections in England.

Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael also criticised the government's record on prosecuting criminals as "a disaster".

"Under Conservative ministers the court backlog has spiralled out of control and denies victims the timely justice they deserve," he said.