Andy Burnham is poised to set thousands of prisoners free, a move that could end his political honeymoon as public anger grows over crime. The unelected Prime Minister, who has enjoyed a bounce in part because he is not Keir Starmer, is facing a backlash over his government's approach to criminal justice.
Early Release Scheme Under Fire
More than 1 million people have signed a petition to block the early release of the killers of PC Andrew Harper. The police officer died in 2019 when he was dragged for more than one mile tangled in a towrope by a car as three teenagers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Berkshire.
Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 17 at the time, were jailed for 13 years for his manslaughter in 2020 but could be released next year under plans to tackle prison overcrowding. Burnham could have kept prisoners with longer sentences in jail but rejected that idea, meaning Bowers and Cole could be among 5,000 offenders freed early.
Public Backlash and Cost of Crime
Burnham said: "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." The public backlash is growing louder, with spiralling criminal activity costing taxpayers at least £33bn a year, or £90m a day.
In the year to September, police recorded 6.7 million crimes. PC Harper's mother, Debbie Adlam, thanked the public for their "phenomenal response" and warned that failing to keep those who kill emergency workers behind bars could affect anyone.
Labour's Record on Law and Order
Critics point to Labour's record, including the release of more than 56,000 prisoners ahead of time since September 2024. In 2024, convicted armed kidnapper Daniel Dowling-Brooks shouted "big up Keir Starmer" as he posed next to a new £150,000 Bentley after being released early from a seven-year sentence.
The message from the public is clear: Britain wants a criminal justice system that sides with victims, not violent thugs. Burnham could end the early release scheme at a stroke, but he won't, because Labour couldn't care less about those who play by the rules.
