Andy Burnham has paused Labour's early release scheme under the new Sentencing Act, but only after widespread public outrage. Critics argue the plan shows a pattern of favouring criminals over victims.
The case of PC Andrew Harper, killed in 2019, highlights the anger. His killers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 17 at the time, were jailed for 13 years for manslaughter, while Henry Long received 16 years. They were considered for early release under the new act.
Victims' families speak out
Lissie Harper, PC Harper's widow, said the prospect of her husband's killers being freed early was incomprehensible. "It is deplorable that we have reached a point where releasing prisoners early is even considered acceptable," she said. "Andrew deserves better. Every victim deserves better. And the British public deserve a justice system they can have faith in."
More than 56,000 prisoners have been released early since September 2024. In a separate case, convicted armed kidnapper Daniel Dowling-Brooks shouted "big up Keir Starmer" as he posed next to a new Bentley after early release from a seven-year sentence for kidnap and grievous bodily harm.
Labour's record questioned
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood were caught on camera laughing and joking about the early release plans. They issued a grovelling apology for what they described as a "moment of levity".
Critics note that convicted fraudster Louise Haigh, who quit in 2024 after failing to disclose a guilty plea to fraud by false representation, is now in Burnham's cabinet. The benefits bill under Labour is running at £333bn a year.
