Derek Lewis (prison governor)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Derek Lewis (born in 1946) is a former Chief Executive and Director General of the British Prison Service, who was sacked by then Home Secretary Michael Howard after a prison scandal in 1995 ^[1].

He is most famous, however, for an interview which occurred during the 1997 Conservative Leadership contest in which Jeremy Paxman asked whether Mr Howard had threatened to overrule Lewis. The question was put no less than 12 times with Michael Howard failing to give a definitive answer.

Light was shed onto the issue after a freedom of information request ^[2].

Derek Lewis studied at Queens' College, Cambridge between 1964 and 1967.

[edit] See also

• Michael_Howard#Infamous_interview_on_Newsnight

[edit] References

1. ^ Actions taken by Michael Howard as Home Secretary. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
2. ^ Secret Home Office papers on prison row fail to clear Howard. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.