UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticised Labour’s sentencing reforms, arguing that people convicted of rape, child sexual abuse and grooming gang offences should not be released from prison before completing the terms handed down by the courts.In a post on X, Badenoch accused the government of putting victims at risk by allowing some serious offenders to leave prison earlier under the Sentencing Act 2026, which changes the automatic release point for certain determinate sentences from two-thirds of a prison term to half.“No rapist, paedophile, or grooming gang member should be let out of prison early.” Badenoch wrote.She said victims of violent and sexual crimes “must always come first” and claimed survivors of grooming gang abuse were now being told that those responsible for their abuse could leave prison earlier than expected.“That is just wrong,” she added.Badenoch also said Conservative MPs had attempted to block the changes but were unsuccessful.“We tried to stop it. Labour and the Liberal Democrats voted against us,” she said, adding: “Every MP has a choice. Stand with victims or stand with the early release of dangerous sexual offenders.”The comments came after Conservative MP Nick Timothy announced a parliamentary bill aimed at exempting rapists, paedophiles and grooming gang offenders from the early release provisions introduced under Labour’s sentencing reforms.The Sentencing Act 2026 is due to take effect from September and is intended to ease pressure on the UK’s overcrowded prison system by reducing the automatic release point for some prisoners serving fixed-term sentences. The policy could affect thousands of offenders, including some convicted of serious sexual and violent crimes.
