Matt Hancock has claimed he opposed "bonkers" plans to release "thousands" of non-violent prisoners - just days before the first Covid lockdown.
The ex-Health secretary turned reality TV junkie said talks reached No10 where he made clear to Boris Johnson his "crystal clear" opposition.
His comments appear in an extract from his upcoming book Pandemic Diaries and after his lucrative stint on ITV's I'm a Celebrity.
The shameless MP who has been stripped of the Tory whip has faced calls to resign for deserting the Commons for the Australian jungle.
In an entry five days before the first nationwide lockdown on 17 March 2020, published by the Daily Mail, Mr Hancock discussed plans for prisons.
He wrote: "A bonkers proposal from the Ministry of Justice to let prisoners out, as they'd be easier to manage if they're not in prison.
"Yes, really: they actually thought this might be a goer."
The following month on April 3 Mr Hancock said officials were "still insisting" on releasing prisoners to ease pressure on the system.
He added: "I keep writing 'NO' in large letters on submissions asking me to sign this off. It's obvious the public won't wear it, yet the idea keeps going back and forth on paper.
"After about the third iteration, I called [Justice Secretary] Rob Buckland, who to my astonishment told me he'd been advised that I was the one who wanted to release them."
"Unfortunately, this still wasn't the end of the matter. Clearly someone in Whitehall still thought it was a good idea and kept pushing it, to the point that the PM asked to talk to us both. I made my views crystal clear."
The Ministry of Justice highlighted on Thursday that a scheme to release some low-risk offenders within weeks of their release dates was announced in April 2020.
A source close to Mr Buckland also told The Mirror it was "bollocks" the former Cabinet minister wanted to release thousands of prisoners.
They said he "implemented a much tighter regime with more in cell time - I think we ended up releasing around 140".
Mr Hancock was forced to resign from Boris Johnson's Government in June 2021 after breaking Covid guidance he told the public to follow.
Footage was leaked from his office at the Department of Health showing Mr Hancock kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo - now his partner.
