Andy Burnham vows to ‘prevent the early release’ of PC Harper’s killers ‘altogether’ as Rayner promises plan by September
It comes as the Housing Secretary told Nick Ferrari that the Justice Secretary would have a plan in place by September
Andy Burnham has vowed to "reduce the number of people released early" and in the case of the most serious offenders "like those convicted of the killing of Pc (Andrew) Harper, prevent their early release altogether”.
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It comes as the PM said he was “Increasingly confident” that work to increase space in the prison system will be successful.
It comes after Andy Burnham told his new justice secretary to find a solution to keep Pc Andrew Harper's killers behind bars in time for Parliament returning in September amid a growing backlash from the victim's family and police.
“I have spent recent days considering in depth all of the issues involved and the range of advice I have received. I have been pushing for further progress. I have not accepted that it is impossible to do more," Burnham told LBC.
“As a result, I have asked the Justice Secretary to fast-track the development of a plan for presentation to Parliament early next month to create more headroom within the prison system."
It comes as Angela Rayner told LBC she promises a plan will be in place by September.
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The Government has said it will set out how it will exempt Pc Harper’s killers from its early release scheme, along with other serious criminals next month.
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner told LBC that Justice Secretary Alex Norris will tell MPs what Labour’s plans are, when the Commons returns after its summer break.
Speaking to LBC, Ms Rayner said: “The Prime Minister is really clear, the Justice Secretary will come to Parliament in September to lay out our plans on how we keep the most serious criminals in jail.”
Speaking on Monday, Andy Burnham told LBC: “I am increasingly confident that a more focused approach along these lines will allow us to reduce the number of people released early and, in the case of the most serious offenders like those convicted of the killing of PC Harper, prevent their early release altogether."
Expanding on the plan, he added: "It will be based on a range of options including the three strands of further work I asked him to initiate last week: increasing the rate of removal of foreign national offenders from the prison estate to their country of origin; finding an early resolution to the long-running injustice of IPP sentences, which could allow for the release of lower-risk prisoners; and making greater use of the entire prison estate including using the female estate for male offenders."
Nick Ferrari clarified: “And that would include killers of police officers?”
Ms Rayner replied: “Yes.”
She continued: “The Prime Minister is really clear that these people that have created the most abhorrent crimes should not be released early and that he wants to set out in September with the Justice Secretary how we can resolve this issue.”
It comes amid increasing pressure from Pc Harper’s family and the police not to allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, to be freed in January under existing plans.
On Monday, Downing Street said it was “not possible” to exempt “one or two offenders” convicted of manslaughter from the early release scheme but later said Justice Secretary Alex Norris will look at ways to keep “a greater number of the the most serious offenders” behind bars.
Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday morning, housing minister Sally Jameson said: “It is important that we find a way, and I’m sure the Justice Secretary will find a way to make sure that Pc Harper’s killers are not released early.
“He’s looking for solutions, and a solution’s been identified.”
Pc Harper was fatally injured when he got caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and was dragged down a country road as the killers fled the scene of a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in 2019.
Two out of three of Pc Harper’s killers, Cole and Bowers, are set to be released half way through their 13-year sentences, after being convicted of manslaughter in 2020.
Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after some exemptions were announced as part of an urgent review of the scheme to tackle jail overcrowding.
Exemptions were made for those convicted of rape, serious child sex offences and grooming offences.
Last week, the Prime Minister said he had “pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do without risking the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing” by making these exemptions.
However, more than 880,000 people have signed a petition calling for Pc Harper’s killers to remain in jail.
Number 10 said on Monday that manslaughter of an emergency worker was “not a standalone offence” and it was “not possible to simply exclude one or two offenders” within the wider category of manslaughter.
The early release changes were part of the Sentencing Act passed earlier this year that cut the minimum amount of time many offenders would have to spend in prison.
Those freed will face tougher probation conditions, including electronic monitoring, random drug testing and possible bans from driving, pubs and events such as football matches.