Reform UK Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf has condemned Labour’s early-release policy after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley revealed that officers are arresting two or three early-release offenders every week in London.
“London’s police commissioner has just exposed the total failure of Labour’s Early Release Scheme”, Yusuf said.
Labour, said Yusuf, “chose violent criminals over the safety of the British people.”
Speaking on LBC on Thursday, Rowley warned of mounting pressure on police as more offenders are released into communities.
Yusuf also highlighted the growing number of arrest warrants: “Arrest warrants have almost doubled, from 800 a month at the start of 2026 to nearly 1,600.”
Yusuf pointed to the deadly consequences of early release, citing the case of Robert Sabat, who murdered his former partner, 42-year-old mother-of-two Dickiesha Nurse, within days of leaving prison.
Sabat was released from Wandsworth on 17th October 2025, having spent time on remand before receiving a 12-month sentence for knife possession and harassment. He was sentenced to life imprisonment this week for the murder.
“And this is London alone”, Yusuf said. “Just how many British people have been raped or killed as a result?”
Yusuf accused Andy Burnham of continuing a policy that puts the public at risk while failing to remove foreign criminals from British prisons.
“Burnham chose to keep this policy,” he said. “He chose not to deport the 10,000+ foreign criminals in British jails.
“He chose to dedicate police resources to protests against illegal migration instead.”
Setting out his response, Yusuf pledged: “I will deport all foreign nationals in our jails and keep violent criminals where they belong: in jail.”
“London’s police commissioner has just exposed the total failure of Labour’s Early Release Scheme”, Yusuf said.
Labour, said Yusuf, “chose violent criminals over the safety of the British people.”
Speaking on LBC on Thursday, Rowley warned of mounting pressure on police as more offenders are released into communities.
Yusuf also highlighted the growing number of arrest warrants: “Arrest warrants have almost doubled, from 800 a month at the start of 2026 to nearly 1,600.”
Yusuf pointed to the deadly consequences of early release, citing the case of Robert Sabat, who murdered his former partner, 42-year-old mother-of-two Dickiesha Nurse, within days of leaving prison.
Sabat was released from Wandsworth on 17th October 2025, having spent time on remand before receiving a 12-month sentence for knife possession and harassment. He was sentenced to life imprisonment this week for the murder.
“And this is London alone”, Yusuf said. “Just how many British people have been raped or killed as a result?”
Yusuf accused Andy Burnham of continuing a policy that puts the public at risk while failing to remove foreign criminals from British prisons.
“Burnham chose to keep this policy,” he said. “He chose not to deport the 10,000+ foreign criminals in British jails.
“He chose to dedicate police resources to protests against illegal migration instead.”
Setting out his response, Yusuf pledged: “I will deport all foreign nationals in our jails and keep violent criminals where they belong: in jail.”
