NICK TIMOTHY: Labour ultimately do not believe in the prison system

Published: 00:27, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 00:41, 5 August 2026 With typical dramatic flair on Monday, the Prime Minister sought to reassure victims affected by Labour's early release of prisoners. 'I understand their anger and anxiety. More than that – I share it,' he said. Try telling that to Lissie Harper, the widow of PC Harper who was killed on duty in Berkshire in 2019. She said that she's 'beyond appalled' that two of his killers will be released before they have served their full sentences. Remarkably, Labour actually apologised to Lissie for their own policy during the course of announcing it. Alex Norris, the Justice Secretary, told her: 'I'm very sorry we are in this situation'. After months of campaigning by victims and the Conservative party, the Government has announced the partial U-turn of excluding rapists from the release programme. But Andy Burnham's search for a quick victory has fallen flat in the face of victims of crimes whose perpetrators will still be set free.  The Government says it has no other choice. But we have heard this from Labour before. They have, with pressure, found 1,000 places within the prison estate to house more offenders.  Nevertheless, thousands of criminals including paedophiles, killers and sexual abusers will still be released after serving as little as a third of their sentences. If it was untrue to say there was no alternative just one month ago, why should we believe Labour now? After months of campaigning by victims and the Conservative party, the Government has announced the partial U-turn of excluding rapists from the release programme Ministers have not been in control of this since the beginning. Lord Timpson, the former prisons minister, said it was not possible to know which criminals would be released, or even when.  Calculations by the Conservatives found that 2,500 rapists and paedophiles would have been eligible for early release under Labour's original scheme. It's unacceptable that Labour would not know the impact of its own policies – it's not fair on victims, and it's not fair on wider society. Early release of prisoners is one of those policies that civil servants put in front of ministers when a new government comes to power. It's the thinking of a bureaucrat who believes it will make no difference. And Labour colluded – because ultimately they don't believe in prison. But for the victims and communities affected, who are set to see killers and sex offenders back on their streets, the impact of this scheme will be visceral. There is another way. I proposed a Bill in July that would stop the release of sex offenders, child abusers and serious violent criminals. But Labour don't have much time – the schedule of releases is due to start in October. They must introduce emergency laws in September to stop this process. They owe it to victims and to the British public. Nick Timothy is the Shadow Justice Secretary  DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Andy Burnham is pledging to create thousands of extra jail spaces as anger grows over early release for offenders...but what exactly does his prisons plan involve?