Critics say the move, which will keep PC Harper’s killers in jail, leaves number of prison spaces ‘too close to the bone’PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain behind bars after a critical intervention by Andy Burnham, but the move has led to warnings that overcrowded prisons will be left “one major event away from disaster”.Announcing a U-turn on the early release scheme after weeks of intense pressure, Burnham said he understood “how strongly people feel about this issue”. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham says ‘hundreds’ of people will remain in prison as part of changes to scheme designed to ease overcrowdingPC Andrew Harper’s killers will be excluded from the early release scheme after the prime minister said anyone convicted of unlawful killing would be exempt.Andy Burnham said “hundreds” of people will remain in prison as part of changes to the scheme designed to ease overcrowding in prisons. Continue reading...
Bridget Phillipson says government would not have to consider releasing prisoners early if Tories had created more capacityCells to hold newly arrested people could run out without the early prison release scheme, a government minister has said.Bridget Phillipson defended the plan to address the prison capacity crisis in England and Wales by releasing thousands of prisoners early, which has been criticised by domestic abuse charities, bereaved families and probation officers among others. Continue reading...
Martin Jones expresses concern scheme will increase pressure on probation service as Burnham addresses controversy over PC Harper’s killersGood morning. Andy Burnham is chairing a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee this afternoon to discuss the heatwave and the climate crisis.About time too, some people will say. One of them is Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, who has been calling for this and who posted this on social media in response.Good.Now we need action. Tax fossil fuel giants to pay for firefighting helicopters. A cool space in every community. A maximum working temperature. Continue reading...
In today’s newsletter: As ministers scramble to resolve overcrowding in prisons, experts say the crisis demands a rethink of who we lock up – and what happens when they’re set freeGood morning. On his family holiday last week, the prime minister, Andy Burnham, was reported to be taking daily calls from Ministry of Justice officials about his government’s early release scheme. A furious public outcry has gathered pace since it emerged that the plan – brought in by his predecessor, Keir Starmer, to alleviate overcrowding in prisons across England and Wales – might include two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper and other serious sexual offenders, including grooming gang perpetrators.After several weeks of “system says no” briefings, which Harper’s mother Debbie Adlam has described as “a rollercoaster … really draining”, yesterday Burnham endeavoured to put a pin in it until September.UK news | Repeated debilitating heatwaves this summer are likely to have cost the UK economy more than £4bn in lost economic output by the end of July, new analysis shows.Meta | Courts in England and Wales have joined a number of restaurants, theatres and pubs in banning the controversial Meta glasses, which can record video footage while being worn.Middle East | Firefighters and residents of south Lebanon have accused the Israeli military of lighting wildfires in the region, as forested areas burned down in blazes sparked by Israeli bombing.UK politics | Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice has been accused of using “nasty tactics” in an attempt to intimidate journalists and deflect attention from his own financial affairs after issuing a legal threat to the Guardian.US news | Democrats called on Tuesday for a congressional briefing over a stunning charade in which Donald Trump was secretly spirited to a different plane than the one the public and press believed he was travelling on. Continue reading...
Napo members overwhelmingly back action after union had criticised prisons proposals as rushedProbation staff have voted overwhelmingly to go on strike, in a potentially serious complication to Andy Burnham’s plans to tweak an early release scheme for prisoners to try to exclude more serious offenders, among them the killers of PC Andrew Harper.While the vote by members of Napo was not directly connected to the early release plans, the probation officers’ union has previously criticised the proposals as rushed. The union said the 91% vote in favour of a strike would come as a blow to ministers as they put together the plan. Continue reading...
Andy Burnham said to be ‘determined’ to work out solution after increasing pressure from family and policeAndy Burnham has told the justice secretary to find a way to exclude PC Andrew Harper’s killers from the early release scheme aimed at easing prison overcrowding.The prime minister is said to be “determined” that a solution can be found after increasing pressure from Harper’s family and police not to allow Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter, to be freed in January under the existing plans. Continue reading...
Manslaughter exemption would mean more releases would be needed within 18 months, Prison Service officials sayWhat could Andy Burnham do to block early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers?Andy Burnham has been warned that changing the terms of the prisoners’ early release scheme so PC Andrew Harper’s killers are kept behind bars would force another spate of early releases before the next general election.Prison Service officials have told No 10 that adding an exemption so that those convicted of manslaughter, such as Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, remain in jail would mean further early releases would be needed within 18 months. Continue reading...
Government ‘urgently’ identifying men convicted in historic cases who could be freed in scheme loopholeUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham’s government is “urgently” identifying any grooming gang perpetrators who may still be eligible for early prison release after concerns were raised about a potential loophole in the system.The prime minister has “personally intervened” after men convicted of assaulting children in Bradford were expected to be freed from prison early despite a promise earlier this week that they would remain behind bars. Continue reading...
Thames Valley chief says he may join Police Federation in court if Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers are freed from prisonThe chief constable of Thames Valley police has said he will consider joining legal action against the government if it fails to block the early release of two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.The Police Federation is contemplating going to court in its attempts to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers in prison. Continue reading...
Jake Richard acknowledges ‘unimaginable pain’ of Harper’s family but says government faces an ‘unenviable position’Good morning and welcome to the UK politics blog.Ministers continue to defend the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers as part of the government’s early prisoner release scheme, despite a potential legal challenge from the Police Federation.Well, look, we understand that people are angry. The Harper family are, of course, angry. The police are angry too.We’re angry that we’re in this situation where we face the unenviable position of having to make sure that we have a sustainable prison system, which is so vital to a functioning law and order system in our country, but also that we do right by victims as far as possible.Because without a functioning prison system, it means it’s difficult for police to make arrests, it’s difficult for our courts to try cases, and it could mean to the collapse of law and order in this country.We cannot be in that situation, so that is the challenge that we face as government ministers and the prime minister faces ultimately.I feel sick to my stomach, if I’m really honest with you. I’ve had a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach the past couple of weeks with this, and it doesn’t go away.And arguably, I would say that many of my members across Thames Valley also have this gut wrenching feeling, even at the prospect of these two killers being released in the space of weeks, potentially.Ministers will scrap the requirement for companies to prove their green and progressive values before they are awarded government contracts, and instead ask firms to prove they will help young people back into work.Women should not feel pressurised into experiencing an “ideal birth”, the new health secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said, promising a root-and-branch reform of standards after several damning maternity scandals.An official investigation has been launched into charities in England and Wales donating funds to illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine.Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling.BP’s chief executive has urged Andy Burnham to make use of the UK’s oil and gas resources even as the oil company prepares to sell its North Sea business after 60 years in the ageing basin.The Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has defended the selection of a former neo-Nazi activist as a candidate for a local election in Somerset despite him being jailed in 2016 after he was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of the former Labour MP Luciana Berger.Pupils in Scotland’s schools received their exam results this morning, with exam pass rates at all levels having risen this year, including a record number of National 5 passes. Continue reading...
Partner of woman killed by dangerous driver among those who say they are devastated at killers leaving jail earlyWhen Calvin Buckley, whose pregnant partner was killed by a dangerous driver in 2023, secured a tougher sentence for the man who took her life, he felt some justice had been served. Now, under plans to release prisoners early to ease overcrowding, Adil Iqbal, who filmed himself speeding at 123mph before he crashed into 38-year-old Frankie Jules-Hough, may serve less time in prison than he would have under his original sentence.“He could actually serve less time than he originally was going to before we appealed,” Buckley said. “We’ve fought for a tougher sentence. What is the point of having an actual sentence if the government can just reduce that?” Continue reading...
Probation inspector says ‘clunky’ system needs upgrade and huge increase in staff to monitor offenders effectivelyThe electronic tagging system which will be relied upon to monitor thousands of offenders released early from prison is failing to alert the authorities of potential breaches of conditions, a watchdog has warned.Martin Jones, HM inspector of probation in England and Wales, said the current system relies upon hard-pressed police and probation officers looking up individual cases and then deciding whether potential breaches need to be investigated further. Continue reading...
After a blitz of small wins, PM is finding that like Keir Starmer there is only so much he can control on the big calls UK politics live – latest updatesIf Andy Burnham wanted to demonstrate he was the anti-Keir Starmer, the first fortnight could not have gone better. Instead of painting a gloomy picture of tough times and an economic black hole that would only improve with sacrifices such as cutting winter fuel allowance, Burnham’s first week was a blitz of small wins including cutting bus fares.But the new prime minister can only control so much. And like Starmer, within his first days in office he found himself facing immediate decisions where every call will make you unpopular. And – like Starmer – blaming your predecessor counts for nothing with an angry public. Continue reading...
Justice secretary says ministers would have liked to block more but doing so would cause prison system to ‘break’UK politics live – latest updatesAbout 1,000 fewer prisoners will be released early after Andy Burnham’s intervention to exclude those convicted of rape, serious child sexual offences and grooming from the scheme.The justice secretary, Alex Norris, said 5,000 prisoners would be released over 10 months from October in England and Wales, down from the government’s original plan for 6,000 from September. Continue reading...
Government revises plans to tackle prison overcrowding amid pressure from MPs and victims but domestic abusers and killers could still be released earlyGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. The mother of PC Andrew Harper said her family are “bitterly disappointed” that her son’s killers remain eligible for early release after the government revised plans to tackle the overcrowding crisis in prisons.Following pressure from victims, MPs and frontline prison officers, rapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will be excluded from the scheme for England and Wales, the government said on Monday.It feels like we’re letting Andrew down again. We’ve been through the justice system, we thought we’d done as best as we could. Now we’re standing up to fight again … so I just feel really let down, for Andrew’s sake as well as ours. Continue reading...
Officials ‘do not know’ how to respond to potential changes to plans to start freeing up to 6,000 offendersUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham’s pledge to review early release plans has created “a sense of chaos” across the Prison Service, probation officers have said.As Whitehall insiders confirmed the prime minister was examining possible exemptions to the law under which offenders will be freed, the Napo probation union said prison officials “do not know” how to respond. Continue reading...
PM says he wants to be sure everything concerning controversial policy has been looked at before it goes aheadUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has said he will review the government’s controversial prisoner early release scheme with the justice secretary.The scheme, under which thousands of prisoners are to serve shorter sentences after new laws were passed to address a prison overcrowding crisis, is due to begin in September. Continue reading...
Victims of crime say it’s ‘no laughing matter’ after ministers caught on hot mic ‘ribbing’ about schemeUK politics live – latest updatesVictims of crime have accused ministers of making “cheap jokes” about releasing prisoners early after Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood apologised after being caught on camera “ribbing” about the scheme.In a video, the new justice secretary, Alex Norris, can be seen walking towards Mahmood and Streeting, the new defence secretary, who can be heard calling Norris “the enemy now”, while Mahmood responds “no he’s not”. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Deputy PM says opponents have ‘no solutions’ to possible collapse of justice system in England and WalesDrugs, drones and heat: Amber Rudd and David Lammy begin search for answers to prisons crisisOpponents of plans to release rapists and sex offenders early from prison have “no solutions” to halt the criminal justice system’s possible collapse, David Lammy has said.Under pressure from Labour MPs – including the former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips – to curb the early release scheme, the deputy prime minister said failing to implement it could leave no capacity across jails in England and Wales in November. Continue reading...
Exclusive: victims commissioner and domestic abuse commissioner call for pause on planned releasesA failure to put in place safeguards ahead of a change to the law that will result in offenders being released early will leave abuse victims at risk, ministers have been warned.In a rare coordinated intervention, the victims commissioner and the domestic abuse commissioner have written separately to ministers urging them to immediately pause planned early releases of offenders convicted of crimes against women and girls in England and Wales. Continue reading...
Under new rules, tech companies will be asked to share AI models with government for review before public releaseDonald Trump signed an executive order to create a voluntary framework for the federal government to vet powerful new AI models before they are released. Tuesday’s highly anticipated order represents an attempt by the president to tighten his grip on cybersecurity and national security threats posed by AI, tacking against his earlier deregulatory stance.Under the new rules, tech companies would be asked to share their AI models with the government for a voluntary review, up to 30 days before a public release. The Trump administration says doing so will allow them to improve national security, particularly with regards to cybersecurity. Continue reading...
Tania Warner is fitted with ankle monitor and released along with seven-year-old daughter Ayla Luca after being deemed not a flight riskA Canadian woman and her seven-year-old daughter, who were held for nearly three weeks in a notorious detention center by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were released on Thursday evening after posting a bond of $9,500.Tania Warner and her daughter Ayla Luca, originally from British Columbia, are both Canadian citizens. Warner moved to the US in 2021 when she married Edward Warner, a US citizen. “Very happy to have my family home … it’s been a whirlwind day,” said Edward Warner. Continue reading...
Campaigners criticise frequent use of storm overflows when parts of the country were in drought for monthsRaw sewage was discharged into rivers and seas almost 300,000 times last year after the driest spring for more than 100 years and the sunniest and warmest year on record in England.Water companies released raw sewage into rivers and seas from storm overflows – designed to be used in extreme wet weather conditions – 291,492 times. This was a 35% reduction on record spills in 2024. Average discharges were 20.5 spills for each overflow, compared with 31.8 in the previous year. Continue reading...