Boris Johnson has vowed an end to early prison release for terrorists – and minimum sentences of 14 years – in response to fierce criticism of the freeing of the London Bridge attacker.

Facing growing questions after Usman Khan killed two people before being shot dead by police – after being released on licence less than a year ago – the prime minister beefed up his plans for longer sentences.

He also risked fresh controversy by blaming the Brexit logjam for the failure to act sooner, claiming: “Due to the broken hung parliament that was preoccupied with blocking Brexit, we could not do more.”

Mr Johnson blamed “laws passed in 2008 which established automatic early release” for Khan’s release, when Gordon Brown was the Labour prime minister.

And he said: “This system has got to end – I repeat, this has got to end, as I‘ve been saying for four months.

“If you are convicted of a serious terrorist offence, there should be a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years – and some should never be released.

“Further, for all terrorism and extremist offences, the sentence announced by the judge must be the time actually served – these criminals must serve every day of their sentence, with no exceptions.”

Mr Johnson claimed: “These simple changes, in line with what I’ve been saying since becoming prime minister, would have prevented this attack.”

And he said: “What I have seen over the last 24 hours has made me angry – it’s absolutely clear that we can’t carry on with the failed approaches of the past.”

London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Show all 29 1 /29 London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Bystanders and police surrounding a person at the scene of an incident on London Bridge HLOBlog/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police and emergency services PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police on London Bridge Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A bystander holding a knife after police surrounded a person at the scene HLOBlog/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People fleeing from Borough Market PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police during the incident Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A white truck across part of London Bridge SophK05/PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A British Transport Police officer runs after reports of an incident Getty London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Boats from the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit patrol near the scene Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A lorry on the bridge crosses over lanes Luke Poulton via Reuters London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of the police and emergency services arriving at Monument tube station AFP via Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of the public held behind a police cordon Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police at the scene PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police evacuate people from Borough Market AP London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police surrond a part of the bridge Timothy Johnson/Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A person is assisted after falling when Police evacuated people from Borough Market AP London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing A Police Officer cordons off London Bridge Station Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Members of staff are ushered into a Fitness First gym Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Handout photo taken with permission from the twitter feed of @ShashD of police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge in central London. PA Photo. Issue date: Friday November 29, 2019. See PA story POLICE LondonBridge. Photo credit should read: Shash/Twitter/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Shash/Twitter PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People head away from the vicinity of Borough Market PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Office workers look out of a window at a scene EPA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge in central London. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday November 29, 2019. See PA story POLICE LondonBridge. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Dominic Lipinski PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Men in forensics suits walk away from the site REUTERS London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing People are evacuated from London Bridge PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing ArrowontheHill ArrowontheHill/Twitter London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police at the scene of an incident on London Bridge PA London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Armed police on the scene Alexandra Carr /SWNS.COM London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Buses on London Bridge during the incident AFP via Getty Images London Bridge attack: Terror police shoot man after stabbing Police on the scene @joebxggs /SWNS.COM

The fightback came after a former top prosecutor revealed he personally warned Mr Johnson about the risk posed by freeing terrorists who had not been deradicalised, but was told there was “no money”.

The hugely damaging claim came as the solicitor for the London Bridge attacker said he had asked for help to turn away from terrorism while in prison, but was not given any.

Jeremy Corbyn branded the attack he was able to carry out “a complete disaster”, saying: “There has got to be a very full investigation.”

The focus switched to efforts made to deradicalise prisoners when Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor for northwest England, intervened by revealing his private conversation with Mr Johnson.

He said he had raised the problem of terrorists being released “whilst ostensibly rehabilitated but still radicalised” in many government meetings, before raising it with Mr Johnson in June 2016.

“He asked me what keeps me awake at night and I told him it was this issue,” Mr Afzal said.

“When he wanted to know what to do about it, I told him it was more resources for one-to-one deradicalisation.