Lord Timpson, the prisons minister who oversaw Labour's controversial early release scheme, has resigned from the government. His departure comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the policy, which was introduced to ease overcrowding in England and Wales's jails but drew criticism over the release of offenders considered a risk to public safety.

Timpson, a businessman and former chief executive of the Timpson retail chain, was appointed to the justice brief after Labour's election victory and became closely associated with defending the early release measures in Parliament and the media. His resignation adds to a period of significant reshuffling within the government, with other ministerial changes also under way.