The ‘King of the North’ seems to be taking his title a little too seriously.
‘King’ Andy Burnham hopes to be greeted by adoring crowds on his UK tour (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham’s first major act after touring the Mediterranean with his family was to announce he’s going to tour the UK too. He’s calling it a “listening” tour, travelling Britain asking how we feel, and what we’re worried about today. It’s all very grand. Almost a bit royal. He’ll no doubt have a kingly entourage, while adoring fans follow his every wink and wave on TikTok and Instagram.
King Andy says he’ll be listening, but he’ll be talking too. He’s chosen his theme: the cost-of-living crisis. That’s a good place to start. Millions are struggling as prices continue to rise. Burnham reckons he’s made a bright start, by capping bus fares at £2, taking VAT off electricity bills, and making it easier to end costly subscriptions. Critics say it’s small beer, but that’s better than no beer at all.
Yet the cost-of-living crisis is a bit of a copout. Basically, it’s a subject everyone can agree on. We want it to end. All hail King Andy. There are harder, more controversial topics, but I wonder whether our merry monarch will be so eager to “listen” to complaints about them. Then take action.
What we used to call the ‘small boats crisis’ is now a terrifying ‘big boats crisis’, with 230 asylum seekers landing in a single boat yesterday.
But what will Burnham say when someone mentions the boats? As people will, given the chance. More importantly, what will he do? We won’t be mugged off with a flicker of his famous eyelashes.
I suspect his grand tour carefully avoids towns and villages furiously protesting about local asylum seeker plans.
King Andy also has to listen to Britons furious over his decision to release murderers, rapists and police killers halfway through their sentences. How will he answer them?
He’ll be ambushed by everyone from embattled farmers fearing for their crops to eco-activists protesting at plans to approve more North Sea drilling. Neither will be fobbed off with gags about pub snacks.
Back in Westminster, tough decisions await. Such as whether to borrow even more money, as the national debt tops £3 trillion. Or slap a windfall levy on the banks, which may prove a crowd pleaser but could also strangle investment and growth.
All this is a lot harder than being bussed around waving at crowds and waffling on about how great it is to be king. If he’s expecting his people to bow before him, he’ll be in for a shock.
We already have a monarch in King Charles, who’s job is to rise above political debate. Burnham’s job is to dive into it. Instead of grinning for selfies he has to grit his teeth, and make tough decisions. Otherwise he’s treating us like mugs.
Burnham risks getting ideas above his station. Ultimately, he’s just another politician. It’s a grubby job, and he’ll have to get his hands dirty. The country hasn’t got time for his lap of honour. We need action now.
Blow for Burnham – prison union chief reveals plan to stop PC Harper killers early release
Ministers have been urged to free thousands of people held on remand to create prison space.
A plan to create additional prison capacity by releasing people held on remand has been put forward as ministers face pressure over the planned early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.
Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, said thousands of people awaiting trial could potentially be bailed or fitted with electronic tags, freeing up cells for prisoners who would otherwise qualify for early release.
Mr Fairhurst said he believed there were around 17,000 people currently on remand.
Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “I’m sure we could get a couple of thousand of them bailed or tagged with the GPS tag to monitor them electronically.
“That’s an easy win for this government and I can’t understand why they don’t consider it.
“I’m positive we could free up additional space and block anybody convicted of manslaughter from early release.
“You only have to look at the remand population.”
The suggestion comes as Downing Street maintains that it is “not possible” to exclude “one or two offenders” from Labour’s early release scheme.
That means Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers could still be released within months.
A petition calling for the pair to remain behind bars had reached nearly 900,000 signatures.
There are about 950 prisoners convicted of manslaughter, the offence for which PC Harper’s killers were convicted, although around 500 are thought to be eligible for early release.
Those campaigning for Cole and Bowers to remain imprisoned have argued that the Government should prohibit early release for anyone convicted of manslaughter.
Ministers, however, have said doing so could result in prisons becoming full.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week he had “pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do” by removing around 1,000 rapists, child sex offenders and groomers from eligibility for early release.
Downing Street reinforced that position yesterday, saying it could not prevent PC Harper’s killers from being released early.
Officials had examined one possible route: preventing prisoners convicted of the manslaughter of an emergency worker from being released.
But Mr Burnham’s spokesman said this was “not a standalone offence”.
The proposal is understood to have been described by officials as a “complete non-starter”.
The reason is that the Government would likely lose a legal challenge because there is no specific offence for manslaughter of an emergency worker.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman was asked whether ministers were therefore accepting the situation as it stands.
He said it was “not possible to simply exclude one or two offenders”, adding: “I think you’ve seen from the Prime Minister’s words that he’s far from accepting the situation and as he wrote last week he wants to go even further.
“He’s pushed hard on what more we could do and his focus now is on fixing the prison system long-term to avoid a repeat of this prison crisis so that it never happens again.”
The Government continues to plan the early release of around 5,000 criminals over ten months from October as it attempts to tackle overcrowding.
Cole and Bowers are among those covered by the plans.
PC Harper, who was 28, was investigating the theft of a £10,000 quad bike in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019 when he was killed.
Bowers and Cole, who were then 17, attempted to flee in a car driven by Henry Long, who was 18.
PC Harper’s ankles became caught in the vehicle’s tow rope and he was dragged along at 43mph.
Long is not eligible for early release.
The decision to potentially release Cole and Bowers has also prompted an angry response from Christopher Bushnell, a former Thames Valley Police officer who was first on the scene following PC Harper’s death.
Mr Bushnell, who retired from Thames Valley Police in 2022, recalled the lack of remorse he said the killers showed in the dock during their trial.
He said their planned early release was “absolutely outrageous”.
PC Harper’s mother shares reaction to killers’ early release
Mr Bushnell said: “We can’t change the verdict.
“They got their sentences, which were pretty pitiful, to be fair. When I first heard a couple of weeks ago there was a chance they could be let out early, I was shaking. It brought everything back.
“To think they could be released early is absolutely outrageous. I’m angry with them, but I’m also angry with the Government. They’re spitting in the face of police officers.”
Aileen O’Connor, Chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, launched the petition calling for Cole and Bowers to remain in prison.
More than 880,000 signatures had been collected by yesterday afternoon.
She said: “The public are speaking loudly and clearly. They agree with us that the Government is firmly on the wrong side of this.
“The silence from the Government on this is deafening. What they are doing is indefensible. And they simply cannot defend it. They must listen. The Prime Minister must listen.
“If you kill a police officer there should be no early release. No ifs. No buts.”
She added: “We are seeking all legal avenues…Whatever happens, we will throw everything we can at this to make sure that those responsible for killing Andrew Harper in the execution of his duty remain firmly behind bars.”