Minister challenged over pro-Palestine starvation strikers as medic warns they could die
Justice Secretary David Lammy will not meet with pro-Palestine prisoners on a hunger strike, the prisons minister said, despite facing calls from more than 50 MPs and peers
Justice Secretary David Lammy will not meet with pro-Palestine prisoners on a hunger strike, the prisons minister has said.
James Timpson said nor he or the Deputy PM will meet them as all prisoners must be treated the same. He said over the last five years there have been more than 200 hunger strike incidents every year and insisted the prison system has “robust” systems in place to deal with them.
But ministers are facing pressure over the welfare of the inmates. Eight Palestine Action activists – accused of break-ins or criminal damage on behalf of the group – went on hunger strike while awaiting trial, with some having been taken to hospital.
Supports say some of the prisoners have been refusing food for more than 45 days. Dr James Smith, a qualified emergency physician who is a lecturer at University College London, told a press conference on Thursday that some of the hunger strikers are dying.
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A group of 51 MPs and peers wrote to Mr Lammy urging him to meet the lawyers of the eight prisoners. Asked about the demands, Lord Timpson said: “I’m very clear. I don’t treat any prisoners any differently from any other, and so that is why we will not be meeting any prisoners or their representatives, because that we have a justice system that is based on the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary is the cornerstone of our system.”
Lord Timpson added that he would like the hunger strikers to “work with health professionals and start eating and get better”.
Talking about the prison service, the minister continued: “We are very experienced at dealing with hunger strikers. Unfortunately, over the last five years, we’ve averaged over 200 hunger strike incidents every year, and the processes that we have are well established, and they work very well with prisons working alongside our NHS partners, and every day, I’ve been making sure that our systems are robust and working, and they are.”
When asked if prisoners were being force fed, Lord Timpson said: “It is a matter for our healthcare professionals to decide how they support hunger strikers and whether they do that in prison or in hospital and that is a medical decision.”
In a Commons date yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North), the Independent MP and former Labour leader, told MPs the group had not had a “substantive reply from the Ministry of Justice”.
He said: “I would hope that in hearing this debate, they will recognise they have a responsibility for the welfare, the medical condition and the way in which prisoners are supported in every one of our prisons, that includes people who are taking protest action.”
John McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, suggested the Government appoints an “independent mediator” to help maintain the discussions between hunger striking prisoners and the authorities. He continued: “If that could be done, I think we could avert a tragedy here that we’re facing.”
Responding to the debate, Commons Leader Sir Alan Campbell said: “The welfare and the wellbeing of prisoners, whether they’re on hunger strike or not, are absolutely central to the Prison Service and to ministers’ minds.
“And it is really important that we appreciate that the Deputy Prime Minister does take a keen interest in what is happening and hope that we can find a suitable outcome for this.
“And I also have to say very gently, it couldn’t be further from the truth for anyone in this House or indeed outside to suggest that somehow the Government or the Prison Service is trying to ‘break the bodies’ of the people that are on hunger strike.
“We want to find a settlement to this and I give a commitment to take back to the Deputy Prime Minister what has been said here today and hopefully we can find a suitable way forward.”
