When Mr Burnham says he understands people do not want the early release of two criminals serving time for their part in the death of a policeman he seeks to be popular. That’s no bad thing in a leader to pick up the public mood about an issue, and if it is well based as this is, to support it. What is wrong is to do so without a clue about what he can do about it as PM.
We have seen him dither and delay. The Justice Department presumably under the supervision or surveillance of the Justice Secretary had determined they needed to undertake early release of a large number of prisoners. They have been closing so many old prisons so they had almost entirely eliminated any gains from the 14,000 new prison places Conservative Ministers had got them to undertake. Under the Starmer government too, as 3000 new prison places from the Conservative plan became available other places were shut, cancelling the wins. The PM allowed this policy to go forward. The policy entailed the early release of the two connected to PC Harper’s murder and some in the grooming gangs.
When the PM got round to understanding how unpopular the Justice Department policy was he asked for a rethink. On August 4th a new policy was announced, saying that the early releases would not now include rape, serious child sex and grooming offences. This did deal with some of the public anger over grooming gangs but the public was still unhappy. Those who assisted the murder of PC Harper were still eligible for release. So Mr Burnham gave up defending this second improved policy and asked for another rethink. At last yesterday the PM has called for his Justice Secretary to present a new policy to Parliament in early September to free the necessary places without early release of categories of dangerous and nasty criminals the public want locked up for longer.
Why? Surely any person who becomes PM should know that before you blunder into a public policy statement you sit down with colleagues and the Head of the relevant Department and hammer it out. You look at the bad aspects and you require a better answer if the policy fails to achieve your aims. Instead we have a PM so in love with his own work on social media that he says what he thinks the public want to hear without engaging government or making sure he can deliver.
Why did the Justice Secretary behave like this? Is he not in charge of his Department? Can’t he get the Department to do what he or the PM wants? Does he accept two public changes of his policy by the PM and the obvious implication that the PM thinks he has let him and the public down, and has failed to do the homework to sort out prison places. If a PM has to get a colleague to try harder it should be done in private, not in public. From the Justice Secretary’s point of view it must be a nightmare working for Mr Burnham if every time he agrees a government policy he then goes back on his agreement and asks for a rethink.
August 12, 2026
America has plenty of prison places, so it can hand out lengthy sentences. However, this all costs money and other services may suffer as a result.
Britain is unwilling to pay as much for prisons as the USA.
There are savings to be made by making foreign prisoners serve time in their own country and, of course, by the reintroduction of the death penalty.
An overarching problem is that so much of government has been handed over to unelected bodies who MPs are unwilling or unable to challenge. The ‘it’s out of my hands mate’ approach.
August 12, 2026
Similarly the USA would not take four years to clear a policeman of any blame for shooting a known criminal who was driving a car at him and putting his life in danger.
Granted American criminals often have guns, but there is not usually a prolonged enquiry – even if the police empty their weapons into the perpetrator. If a so-called SWAT team is involved there can be absolute carnage.
Americans mostly complain about liberal judges/states allowing criminals soft sentences or bail conditions.
August 12, 2026
Politicians do seem to like it being out of their hands power to the EU, the ECHR, the judiciary, the WHO, other international bodies and endless QUANGOs 400+ of them.
How to govern? Leadership requires firstly a working compass, then an ability to lead people and follow this compass. Burnham has neither he is a pathetic gimmick man who simply ignores all the major issues.
The last PM with a working compass was Thatcher and even she got a lot wrong (she did not leave the EU, closed loads or grammar schools, failed to reform the NHS, appointed the dim John Major as Chancellor then let him join the ERM against wise advice from JR and her economic advisor).
I suppose Truss had a working compass too but did not execute it well and was then alas rapidly removed by the dire blob, the BoE and Sunak supporters.
August 12, 2026
When Politicians hand nearly all their power to the EU, the ECHR, the judiciary, the WHO, other international bodies and endless QUANGOs (400+ of them) this further destroys what little democracy we have. What is the point of electing people who have given their powers away anyway.
One vote every five or so years, on a basis of a manifesto of lies and with the hugely distorting FPTP voting system is hardly any real democracy at all – even if they had not given over all their power to others anyway.
August 12, 2026
So the UK has been importing up to 70% of its electricity over the past few days mainly nuclear from France it seems.
I would personally far rather have a new nuclear plant a few miles from my home than have hundreds of illegal boat migrants in an old army camp near it. The later destroys its value far more.
So why can it take 10 years for a nuclear plant to get planning and the go ahead in the UK and yet the migrant camp, HMOs or migrant hotels get permission at the drop of a hat.
August 12, 2026
@Lifelogic – the UK Political Class doesn’t do management, governing. They are to pre-occupied with personal a religious and political ideology to be concerned about the minions that lend them their powers and pay their wages
August 12, 2026
Burnham’s latest pathetic gimmick & distraction is to say wealthier areas must take their fair share of HMOs etc. full of migrants many of who are clearly criminals and dangerous. This turning it into a class war too. No Burnham you just have to stop, turn back and deter them all. It is quite simple to do you turn them round or incarcerate them until they leave. Make it clear very they can never stay if they arrived illegally and will be incarcerated until they leave.
Now they have been given even more incentive to arrive a better chance of a home in a posher area!
August 12, 2026
@Lifelogic – it is all distraction to play to yes those that support the Uniparty, the party that fights democracy, the country and its people.
Who created this Law? It wasn’t the people, it wasn’t those that suffer loss of life, those that keep having to find and create money for it to be thrown away
August 12, 2026
Meanwhile the posh people are in house arrest and certainly can’t allow their young daughters to go out and about whilst some dodgy characters are wandering around.
August 12, 2026
Well it is only three weeks before we actually see the new PM engage with Parliamentary scrutiny of his actions.
So far we have only had brief images of him. Let us hope his final entrance into the public space of Politics brings forth some beneficial policies that allow the Nation to improve its growth, high incidence of crime and unaffordable cost of living for many millions of working families. He may also look to reduce the record level of taxation now in place thanks to his predecessors.
I am not holding my breath
August 12, 2026
We have seen him dither and delay.
It’s not just Burnham and his band of merry men but all other governments in the past 3 decades, going back in time to the invasion by Romans and Vikings and Danes at least they made it visible they were invading us with all the rampaging, now we learn that Liebour are holding a Cobra meeting about the sun that’s been there for billions of years but not a Cobra meeting about something that can be sorted the invasion by small ferry dinghies, so come on Burnham get your priorities right and it’s not the sun
August 12, 2026
JR doesn’t mention where Burnham really failed: he didn’t address the need to create more prison places. I wonder why neither of them talk about it. Perhaps because it’s a Reform UK policy? We need ‘Nightingale prisons’, and we should also find foreign countries such as Salvador willing to take the pressure off our overcrowded prisons until enough new ones have been built. That said, I agree with JR’s last point, that all the Quangos we have now may be seriously interfering with the business of government.
August 12, 2026
Burnham appointed the Justice Secretary only a few weeks ago so it doesn’t say much for his judgement if already he’s unhappy with their performance.
August 12, 2026
Too much control given to Quango’s, Ministers no longer in real charge of their brief, thus ineffective or little Ministerial control.
I do believe John you released a posting a little while ago about this very subject, of “the system” reducing Ministerial influence, power, and control over their departments and the inability to hire and fire.
August 12, 2026
Good morning.
Unlike his predecessor who was very quick to lock people up 😉
I asked, Google the following question: How may foreigner nationals are currently in UK jails ? The answer I got was:
It seems to me that there is a very large open goal here. All we need is someone to put the ball in the back of the net.
August 12, 2026
I am wondering why, if there is a shortage of prisons, Reading Prison has stood empty and idle for so long.
August 12, 2026
Like so many in the UK Parliament, they cant read the room. It is about them personally and their political religious personal ideology.
Long gone are the days of representing constituents, the electorate, those that lend the powers and pay the wages, it about preaching what their Gang Boss personal wants, not what is right, needed. Its take the fight to the people and keep corralling them, containing them, letting them know who the Politicos thinks is boss
August 12, 2026
Prisons or beneifts.
Defence or benefits
NHS gets a free ride
Public sector pensions unaddressed.
Solved it for you T-Shirt boy.
August 12, 2026
The early release was a Law made in Parliament because the Labour Party, (Starmer, Hermer, Lammy wanted to cover their backs and show who is boss) supported as always by the LimpDems.
It was done due to neglect of the country, its people, the inability to manage and the rush to create a personal political ideology.
The irony, Olivia Bailey Labour MP Pc Harpers own MP knew what they were doing when they approved of the Law to have his killers released. For those that don’t know it was an horrific death for Pc Harper he was towed behind a car by his ankles for a mile or so until he died. No remorse just a good laugh. All because he tried to stop these louts stealing. His MP seemingly thinks that these louts should be free to roam the streets in her consultancy. The Police in her area should keep away from protecting property, investigating and deterring theft/burglary their MP wont support them
As for Burnham, he wasn’t around he has only recently been anointed the leader of this Socialist Cabal called the UK Parliament. He is thrashing around wanting to sound loveable to selected people, but analysis it he has done nothing other than escape scrutiny. It the Labour way, Starmer’s way talk a lot keep grabbing the sound-bite headline while doing nothing other than threaten democracy and suck up to foreign powers by handing his job to them.