Fury as Andy Burnham forced to admit UK’s ‘most dangerous’ prisoners will be released

Andy Burnham is paving the way for “some of the most dangerous people in prison” to be released, critics have warned.

The Prime Minister, setting out his “fifth position on early release in less than six weeks”, has admitted criminals jailed indefinitely for public protection will be let out to free up space behind bars.

Mr Burnham on Sunday morning confirmed PC Andrew Harper’s killers will be kept behind bars, along with others convicted of manslaughter.

But fury is already erupting over Labour’s latest u-turn, with space set to be created by giving prisoners jailed indefinitely under the IPP scheme sentences with a release date.

Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy blasted: “This is Andy Burnham’s fifth position on early release in less than six weeks since he became PM. There are serious questions about what he’s now proposing – including about the release of dangerous IPP prisoners.

“Burnham says he’ll create space in prisons by releasing those on IPP sentences.

“They’re among the most dangerous people in prison. Will they all be released?

“Just some? How many? And on what timescale? What about those who would have had a life sentence had IPP not existed?

“The PM is asking Parliament and the country to simply trust that he has got this right – on the fifth attempt. We need a robust democratic process to make sure he has. There are far too many questions – about hugely important matters of public safety – to take it on trust.”

The Prime Minister dropped Sir Keir Starmer plans to allow killers, including Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, to be freed early from their jail sentences amid a furious public backlash.

And he is going further than expected by excluding all types of manslaughter from the scheme, as well as blocking the early release of offenders convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, indecent assault, and causing or allowing the death of a child.

The Prime Minister said he had made the “judgement” that the public would prefer offenders who have served their time being freed before those who have not, and that he had “long-standing concerns” about the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences which have caused “a sense of unfairness” in some cases.

But he promised to apply a “common sense” approach, and said legislation would be brought forward to end these sentences by the end of the Parliament.

He told BBC Breakfast: “Many of the people in this position have more than served their time. But on the scheme that I inherited, they would have remained in prison, while others who committed serious offences would have been let out early.

“And we will set up a cross-party oversight group to look at how this is done, because there are still individuals who will pose a risk to communities. It does need to be done in a very careful way with regard to public safety, national security, and all of those issues.”

Ministers will create extra space by deporting more foreign offenders, creating more cells in existing prisons and ending controversial indefinite sentences, called imprisonment for public protection (IPP), that were handed out in previous decades. More than 2,000 IPP offenders are in jail.

He told BBC Breakfast: “I can look them in the eye now and say, I have turned over every stone, working with the Justice Secretary, over the summer, we have worked hard to look at everything.

“But at this point in time, there is no further that we can go without risking new offenders coming through the court system.

“Those guilty of the most serious offences, not being able to be sent to prison because the prisons are full, and I can’t allow that situation to arise either.”

He told the programme around 1,000 prisoners will remain in prison because of his initial changes, while “hundreds more” will stay behind bars because of the extra exemptions he announced on Sunday.

Police chiefs welcomed the move, declaring the controversy around PC Harper’s killers had alarmed victims and their families.

Chief Constable Jason Hogg, of Thames Valley Police, which PC Harper served in, said: ““I am grateful that those concerns were listened to and carefully considered. Throughout this process, our focus has been on ensuring that the voices of victims, families, colleagues and communities were heard and understood and properly considered alongside the wider challenges facing the criminal justice system.

“We know this case has resonated far beyond Thames Valley Police. Today’s announcement may bring reassurance not only to Andrew’s family, but to other victims and bereaved families who have followed this issue closely and who continue to seek confidence that the most serious offences are treated with the gravity they deserve.

“Today is not about politics. It is about remembering Andrew, recognising the profound impact his death continues to have on those who knew him, the communities he protected and those who serve in policing today.”

Aileen O’Connor, Chair of Thames Valley Police Federation, said: “PC Andrew Harper made the ultimate sacrifice for the job that he loved, serving communities, serving society.

“His killers should never have been considered for early release. It remains shocking that they were.

“We are pleased that the Government – despite what was frankly initial reluctance – has eventually listened, seen sense and made the right decision to keep these lowlifes behind bars.

“They had no option.

“The weight of public and policing opinion against such plans was overwhelming.

“The fact that more than 1 million people signed our petition over this was a historic public backing for police officers.

“The fact 50 Chief Constables across the UK wrote an open letter calling for the Government to reconsider was unprecedented.

“The right and proper decision has been made.”

Aileen added: “There is wider good news here that – as a result of our campaigning work – a wider collection of criminals will not be eligible for early release so there is better news today for many more families.”