Andy Burnham Faces Political Backlash Over Review of Early Release Plans for Violent Offenders

London, United Kingdom Jul 23, 2026 ALN: Andy Burnham is at the center of a growing political controversy after initiating a review of plans for the early release of thousands of violent offenders, including killers and sex offenders, scheduled for September.

The family of PC Andrew Harper, who was tragically killed in the line of duty, expressed their outrage upon learning that his murderers may qualify for early release. In response, the Prime Minister has vowed to ensure that "everything has been looked at again" before approximately 6,000 offenders are released on tags.

However, shortly after Burnham's announcement, prison reform advocates, government officials, and various politicians cautioned that abandoning measures aimed at alleviating prison overcrowding could lead to a collapse of the criminal justice system.

Burnham has swiftly intervened on several policy matters just days into his premiership, including suggesting a potential increase in the personal allowance for income tax, which has remained unchanged since 2022.

In an effort to clarify his position, Burnham stated that while there is no formal commitment to raise the allowance from £12,570, it will be considered during the upcoming budget, expected in the autumn.

“I want to answer questions honestly in this job, as I said before. I think that’s all about trust in politics and doing politics differently, and I’m determined to keep working in that way,” he remarked.

New sentencing laws were enacted under Keir Starmer’s government to address a looming prison overcrowding crisis, which officials warned could paralyze the criminal justice system by November.

Unlike previous emergency measures that resulted in the early release of tens of thousands of prisoners during Starmer’s administration, the Sentencing Act does not provide exemptions for those convicted of serious crimes, domestic abuse, or terrorism.

PC Harper was only 28 when he suffered fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019. His killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 17 at the time, received 13-year sentences for manslaughter but could be eligible for early release under the new Sentencing Act.

His widow, Lissie Harper, successfully campaigned for legal changes known as Harper’s Law, which imposes harsher penalties for the manslaughter of emergency workers on duty.

In her statement, she expressed her disappointment: “When I fought for Harper’s Law, I was supported not only by the Conservative government of the day but by the Labour party too. They pledged to support our cause and agreed that those who kill emergency workers should face tougher sentences because some crimes are so grave they demand meaningful punishment. That cross-party support helped make Harper’s Law a reality. Today, it feels forgotten.”

When asked to address the Harper family’s concerns, Burnham committed to reviewing the plans alongside the justice secretary, Alex Norris. “I will review the whole of this policy. We did not invest in the prison estate when we should as a country, going back a decade or so ago, when it was clear that there was going to be pressure. That has created an unacceptable situation now,” he stated.

Burnham assured that he would thoroughly examine the policy before it proceeds, although he could not guarantee a complete overhaul. “I can’t say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward,” he added.

Whitehall insiders have indicated that any changes to the early release scheme would contradict previous claims made by former justice secretary David Lammy, who warned that without it, there could be “no capacity” across prisons in England and Wales by November.

One government official remarked, “There is very little wriggle room because it takes seven years to build a prison. Andy will need to get into the issues, but there are no easy choices because we will hit prison capacity by Christmas if he doesn’t do it.”

Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, urged caution, stating, “This is a system that is on the verge of collapsing under its own weight. When originally introducing these proposals, Shabana Mahmood described the alternative as being the ‘total breakdown of law and order’.”

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the social justice charity Nacro, emphasized the importance of preventing prisons from becoming overcrowded again. “It should not be forgotten that the reason the Labour government put in place an early release scheme was to ensure there isn’t yet another prisons capacity crisis,” he said.

Former Conservative prisons minister Rory Stewart commented, “Early release is not an easy choice – but it is the least bad option if we want to genuinely try to work intensively with prisoners and reduce reoffending.” Under the act, some serious offenders will be eligible for release halfway through their sentences rather than two-thirds. Those convicted of less serious crimes may be freed after serving a third of their sentence instead of 40%. Prisoners convicted of certain violent or sexual offenses are eligible for release halfway through their sentences instead of two-thirds.

The bill was introduced to parliament by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp expressed his disapproval on X, stating that the “early release scheme allows rapists and serious criminals out of prison early and it must be urgently cancelled.”

He further asserted that releasing the jailed car passengers “is an insult to Andrew Harper’s memory and to police officers who put themselves at risk every day to protect us.”

Burnham’s commitment to review the policy has been welcomed by victim advocacy groups. Former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips remarked that it is crucial to establish “proper systems” to assess risk and involve victims. “There is a chance to radically change how victims are considered in the system and to improve victims of violence against women and girls’ end-to-end experience of the justice system,” she stated.

Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis England and Wales, acknowledged the significant challenges facing the government, including managing overcrowding and under-resourcing, but stressed that solutions must not come at the expense of survivors. Katie Kempen, chief executive at Victim Support, expressed optimism about the review, stating, “This review must urgently fix the fact that most victims currently have no way of knowing whether or not an offender could be released early. It is unacceptable that so many victims are being kept in the dark about this – that must change.”