Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has challenged Andy Burnham to enact emergency legislation to halt the early release of prisoners, specifically targeting rapists, paedophiles, and other serious offenders. This demand comes as the government pauses a scheme that could see approximately 6,000 prisoners freed in September to alleviate prison overcrowding.
Reports indicate that individuals convicted of serious crimes, including murder, rape, and sex offenses, are among those scheduled for release. The early release scheme is set to come into effect with Labour's Sentencing Act on September 2. Badenoch insists that emergency legislation is necessary to permanently stop the scheme, stating that a government review, as announced by Burnham, is insufficient.
Badenoch criticized Labour's approach, stating, "Andy Burnham must prove he is serious by acting now to stop Labour's early release scheme. Instead, in an echo of Starmer, he has announced another Government review. It's not good enough. Without emergency legislation, dangerous violent and sexual offenders will be released at the start of September." She further asserted that the Conservatives have consistently opposed the scheme since its introduction in 2024 and would support fast-tracked emergency legislation to block it. The party previously secured a parliamentary vote in July to exempt sexual offenders from early release.
The Prime Minister ordered a review of the scheme after public outcry following the revelation that two of the killers of Police Constable Andrew Harper were eligible for early release. PC Harper died in 2019 after being dragged by a car during a quad bike theft. His killers, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter and could have been eligible for early release after serving half their sentences.
Lissie Harper, the widow of PC Andrew Harper, has publicly condemned the early release scheme as "deplorable."
A Labour Party spokesperson responded to the criticism by highlighting the Conservative government's record during their 14 years in office, during which they closed 23 prisons, created only 482 jail places, and granted early release to 10,000 prisoners, contributing to the current strain on the criminal justice system.
The Ministry of Justice, however, stated that emergency legislation is not required, as the authority to halt the scheme rests with the Justice Secretary.