GUIDELINES that may give softer sentences to criminals from minority groups were based on research by minister David Lammy.

The Sentencing Council directions for judges sparked a cross-party backlash and claims of “two-tier justice”.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has threatened to strip the quango of its powers and pass laws to overrule it unless it backs down.

The Times said the council has now revealed the rules were influenced by a 2017 review by Mr Lammy, who is now Foreign Secretary.

The Cabinet Minister had argued for more details of an offender’s background to be taken into consideration.

The guidance tells judges to take a convict’s ethnicity, faith or gender into account in deciding whether to jail them, so they could get softer sentences.

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has launched legal proceedings on grounds it “enshrines anti-white and anti-Christian bias” into our justice system.

The news of Mr Lammy’s influence will fuel Tory claims Labour was aware of next month’s sentencing changes and failed to act.

Mr Jenrick has vowed to “fight tooth and nail” to kill the proposals, including by Judicial Review if needed.

He said: “Unless Labour acts urgently to fix this mess, we will have a two-tier justice system that is biased against men, white people, and Christians.

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“That would be a completely unacceptable outcome.”

Ms Mahmood said she “will be reviewing the role and powers of the Sentencing Council”.

The Ministry of Justice said the then Conservative Sentencing Minister Gareth Bacon signed off the guidance in February 2024.