Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has challenged Andy Burnham to take immediate action to stop the early release of prisoners, demanding emergency legislation to prevent rapists, paedophiles, and other serious offenders from being freed.
The call comes after the government paused the scheme last week following public outcry over the potential early release of individuals convicted of serious crimes, including the killers of police officer Andrew Harper. Approximately 6,000 prisoners are scheduled for release in September under the scheme designed to alleviate prison overcrowding.
Badenoch stated that Burnham must prove his commitment to public safety by acting now, rather than opting for another review, which she described as insufficient. She emphasized that without emergency legislation, dangerous offenders risk being released by September 2, coinciding with the effective date of Labour's Sentencing Act.
"It's all well and good cutting bills and bus fares, but that pales into insignificance when paedophiles and rapists are about to be let out on our streets," Badenoch remarked. "Burnham needs to show us he's ready to take the tough decisions."
The Ministry of Justice, however, indicated that emergency legislation is unnecessary, as the authority to halt the scheme rests with the Justice Secretary.
A Labour Party spokesperson countered by criticizing the Conservatives' record during their 14 years in office, citing the closure of 23 prisons, the creation of only 482 jail places, and the early release of 10,000 prisoners, which they claim pushed the criminal justice system to the brink.
The Prime Minister initiated a review of the early release policy after the family of PC Andrew Harper expressed outrage upon learning that two of his killers were eligible for early release. PC Harper, 28, died in 2019 when he was dragged by a car during a quad bike theft incident. His killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were 17 at the time of the offense and were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, making them potentially eligible for early release after serving half their sentences under the new Sentencing Act.
Badenoch asserted that the Conservatives have been actively campaigning against the scheme since its inception in 2024 and would support expedited legislation to halt it. The party previously secured a parliamentary vote in July to exempt sexual offenders from early release.
Lissie Harper, the widow of PC Andrew Harper, has previously described the early release scheme as "deplorable."