David Lammy was mocked over his infamous Celebrity Mastermind appearance by Robert Jenrick during their first Commons clash today. The new Justice Secretary faced his Tory counterpart for justice questions in the Commons.

Mr Jenrick referred to Mr Lammy’s “rather traumatic” experience on the BBC quiz show in 2009 where he got a series of questions wrong, including saying Henry VIII was succeeded by Henry VII, as he grilled him on foreign criminals in UK prisons. The Shadow Justice Secretary also poked fun at the Cabinet minister for fishing without a licence with US Vice President JD Vance last month.

Mr Jenrick said: “I welcome the Justice Secretary to his place. The only one in, one out deal that’s working in this Government is the one for deputy prime ministers.

“Just last month the country was crying out that the right honourable member must face justice after his scandalous failure to register a licence for fish. Well, he thought he was off the hook, but finally it is justice for Lammy.

“I know the honourable gentleman has a previous and rather traumatic experience with one John Humphreys on Mastermind so I hope he’s sitting comfortably.

“How many foreign nationals are clogging up our prisons and does he still stand by the letter that he signed which opposed the removal of 50 foreign criminals, one of whom went on to murder?”

The Labour politician replied with a jibe at Mr Jenrick’s leadership ambitions, saying: “I know the honourable gentleman is so good that my predecessor was promoted and I know that he’s auditioning for another job.

“But let me be clear, returns under this government have gone up 14% and I took a keen interest as Foreign Secretary, they will be going up further.”

The Tory frontbencher said: “I’ll give it to the Justice Secretary that was a better reply than the one when he was asked which monarch succeeded Henry VIII and he said Henry VII but it wasn’t the answer I was asking for.

“In fact, there are 10,772 foreign nationals in our prisons and that has gone up under Labour.

“The obstacle to so many of their removals is the European Convention on Human Rights, which has morphed into a charter for criminals.

“The last justice secretary pretended that you could reform the ECHR but the Attorney General Lord Hermer has stated that position is and I quote ‘a political trick’.

“Is it a trick that this Justice Secretary intends on playing on the British public?”

Mr Lammy replied: “I’ve got to tell you I know the honourable gentleman is a corporate lawyer but he needs to get into the detail.

“We are reforming the Sentencing Bill so you can get people out the country, deport them, on sentencing. Get into the weeds and look at the bill.”