Burnham Slams Brakes—But For How Long?

Britain’s new left-wing government just hit the brakes on an extreme early-release plan that could have freed cop killers, rapists, and violent criminals after serving only a fraction of their sentences.

Story Snapshot

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has paused a scheme that would release thousands of prisoners early, including serious violent offenders.
The pause came after outrage that two men who killed Police Constable Andrew Harper could walk free after around six years behind bars.
Burnham says no inmates will be let out under the policy until an “urgent review” is completed to reduce risk to the public.
The scheme was designed to ease severe prison overcrowding but has already created confusion and “chaos” inside the prison system.

New Labour Plan to Free Criminals Hits a Wall

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ordered an immediate pause to a Labour-designed early release scheme that was due to start in September and would have seen thousands of prisoners in England and Wales freed well before the end of their sentences. The plan, passed under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, let most offenders on fixed-term sentences out after serving about one-third of their time, instead of half, in order to relieve overcrowded jails. That change meant even killers and rapists could be among the more than 5,000 inmates expected to be freed in monthly batches starting September 2.

Burnham’s decision followed a wave of anger after reports that two of Police Constable Andrew Harper’s killers, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, could benefit from the scheme and walk free after roughly six years for his 2019 manslaughter. PC Harper died after being dragged behind a getaway car while trying to stop a crime, and his widow publicly called the early release plan “deplorable,” sparking national outrage. Victims of sexual crime and bereaved families also voiced fear and shock that dangerous offenders might be back on the streets far earlier than the public expected.

Burnham Frames Pause as Public-Safety Move

During a visit to Scotland, Burnham declared that “keeping the public safe will always be my top priority” and said he had instructed his team to put a pause on the changes due in September. He promised that “no prisoners will be let out under this policy” until an urgent review is completed and “everything we can” has been done to cut risk to the public. Justice Secretary Alex Norris backed the move, saying ministers had heard serious concerns from victims and survivors and wanted their views “at the heart” of any changes.

Burnham has also admitted that the prison system is under huge strain after years of under-investment and rising pressure, describing the current situation as “unacceptable.” He said he would review “the whole of the policy” with the new Justice Secretary, while warning he could not guarantee that the scheme would be totally scrapped. That message means the pause is not yet a full victory for law-and-order campaigners, who argue the government must permanently rule out early release for the worst offenders.

Chaos in Prisons and a Bigger Safety Debate

The sudden pause has thrown prison planning into confusion, as officials were already preparing for the new release rules and now say they “do not know” how to respond. A deputy governor told reporters they had been ordered to halt preparations until ministers make clear what will happen next, while another insider said the review had “created chaos” across the service. Behind the scenes, staff must now redraw release schedules for thousands of inmates who were expecting to leave after serving only about a third of their time.

Critics on the right in Britain are pressing Burnham to go much further, demanding that killers, rapists, and child abusers be permanently excluded from any early release law, not just paused for review. They warn that a system built mainly to ease overcrowding risks turning violent crime into a paperwork problem rather than a moral line that should never be crossed. Supporters of the pause, including victims of sexual assault, welcome Burnham’s move but point out that it does not fix the deeper crisis of underfunded, overcrowded prisons that drove Labour to the early release idea in the first place.