TalkTV's Kevin O'Sullivan launched a furious tirade at Prime Minister Andy Burnham over the ongoing migrant crisis and concerns about the early release prison scheme. During his show, he was joined by co-star Samara Gill to discuss the UK leader's response to worries about the potential release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.
PC Harper was tragically killed in the line of duty in 2019 while responding to a theft. He was caught in a strap trailing behind a car and dragged for a mile before being left for dead on the road. Under the Labour Government's early release scheme, introduced to ease overcrowded prisons, the killers, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were sentenced to 13 years in 2020, could go free.
Burnham's Response
On Tuesday, August 12, Burnham addressed the concerns and stated: "I have asked the Justice Secretary to fast-track the development of a plan for presentation to Parliament early next month to create more headroom within the prison system."
Among other plans, he added: "I am increasingly confident that a more focused approach along these lines will allow us to reduce the number of people released early and, in the case of the most serious offenders like those convicted of the killing of PC Harper, prevent their early release altogether."
Public Reaction
The PM assured: "Murderers have always been exempt and our actions have already ensured that rapists, serious child sex offenders and those convicted of grooming offences will never be released early. I am doing all I can, but it is simply not possible to prevent all offenders from being released early without the prison system collapsing."
In the TalkTV comments, one person agreed with the host, writing: "This is why Kev is brilliant." A second echoed: "Well said." Another added: "We need to petition to RECALL Parliament URGENT. ENGLAND is being invaded, we have a right to protect and defend our HOMELAND and its people." Meanwhile, one viewer argued: "I don't like Burnham, but he's been there for a few weeks, and he expects him to do in that time what the Tories didn't or couldn't in 14 years, utter stupidity."
