Derek Lewis (prison governor)

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 fewer than 12 times with Howard failing to give a definitive answer.

A 2005 freedom of information request shed new light on the issue.^[2]

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

See also

• Michael Howard Infamous interview on Newsnight

References

1. ^ "Actions taken by Michael Howard as Home Secretary". http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/freedom-of-information/released-information/foi-archive-about-us/584-howard-actions?view=Html. Retrieved 2008-05-03. 
2. ^ Travis, Alan (2005-03-02). "Secret Home Office papers on prison row fail to clear Howard". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2005/mar/02/ukcrime.freedomofinformation. Retrieved 2008-05-03. 

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Name	Lewis, Derek
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Date of birth	1946
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