New Premier flip-flopping on the issue, accused of throwing his Justice Secretary ‘under the bus’.
In Britain, we’ve come to the point where ‘all the top police officers in the country’ are calling for constable Andrew Harper’s killers to stay behind bars.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Andy Burnham is under heavy criticism for appearing to every day have a different opinion on this issue.
BREAKING: 50 police chiefs have written an open letter calling on Andy Burnham to prevent the release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.
Sky’s @annabotting has the latest.https://t.co/vGYPFRpa2g
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/dMKH8I6Lx7
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 11, 2026
The Telegraph reported:
“Every police chief in the UK has signed an unprecedented joint letter demanding Andy Burnham do everything possible to stop the early release of PC Andrew Harper’s killers.
In a joint letter, 50 chief constables united to tell the Prime Minister to examine ‘every lawful option’ to ensure Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole serve their full sentences.”
🚨 BREAKING: All police chief constables in the UK have called for Andy Burnham to ensure PC Andrew Harper’s killers are not released early
“We make this request in memory of PC Andrew Harper, in support of his family, friends, colleagues and the communities he served” pic.twitter.com/I5MCl2q7nG
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 11, 2026
“Earlier on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said he was ‘increasingly confident’ that he could stop Cole and Bowers walking free early after changing his position on the releases several times.
However, sources at the Ministry of Justice accused the Prime Minister of throwing Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, ‘under the bus’ by ordering him to examine how the releases could be blocked.”
I understand the depth of public concern about the potential early release of those involved with the killing of PC Andrew Harper – and I share it.
I fully appreciate the anguish of Andrew’s family and, more broadly, of all those victims and their families who may see those who…
— Andy Burnham (@andyburnham) August 11, 2026
‘We are looking at all options’
Government minister Angela Rayner confirmed on #BBCBreakfast that Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told his Justice Secretary to find a way to exclude two of PC Andrew Harper’s killers from an early release scheme designed to ease prison… pic.twitter.com/PLz7CQJJoU
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) August 11, 2026
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