Keir Starmer Forced To Defend David Lammy As Problems Mount For Embattled Prime Minister

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/690d930b150000ad059c28ba.jpeg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Keir Starmer attends a roundtable with leaders of tropical forest countries during the COP30 climate summit in Brazil." data-caption="Keir Starmer attends a roundtable with leaders of tropical forest countries during the COP30 climate summit in Brazil." data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="via Associated Press" />Keir Starmer attends a roundtable with leaders of tropical forest countries during the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/">Keir Starmer </a>has been forced to defend <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/david-lammy/">David Lammy</a> over the prisoner release scandal as problems continue to mount for the prime minister and his embattled government.</p><p>The prime minister also had to reprimand <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lisa-nandy/">Lisa Nandy</a> amid a donations row – and came under pressure from Labour deputy leader <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/lucy-powell/">Lucy Powell </a>over the upcoming Budget.</p><p>Lammy is under fire over his handling of the accidental release of Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who remains on the run more than a week after being mistakenly freed from Wandsworth Prison in London.</p><p>The justice secretary, who is also deputy prime minister, <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/lammy-defends-himself-amid-fallout-over-prisoner-release_uk_690cbb21e4b0799004d38204?zrc">tried to defend himself on Thursday</a>, but only succeeded in raising further questions about his version of events.</p><p>He said K