Burnham Signals U-Turn to Block Harper Killers' Release
Andy Burnham has signalled he is prepared to “explore every option” to stop the automatic early release of the men who killed PC Andrew Harper, in the clearest sign yet of a retreat under pressure. The prisoner-release row has become the first big test of his premiership, with the Police Federation threatening legal action and the Metropolitan Police chief publicly criticising the releases. Ministers had already tightened the scheme to exclude serious sexual offenders.
The emergency early-release scheme, forced on the government by a prison system close to collapse, has thrown up a series of politically toxic cases, none more so than the prospect of freeing the killers of a serving police officer. Harper was dragged to his death behind a car in 2019, in a case that changed the law on killing emergency workers. Mr Burnham’s apparent willingness to intervene, even from his summer holiday, shows how damaging the issue has become. Unpicking automatic releases, however, is legally fraught. Watch whether the government finds a way to exclude the case or faces the courts.