Hundreds of 'vile' killers set to be freed from jail as part of Labour's early release scheme, new analysis shows, as Tories warn public will be put at risk

By DAVID BARRETT, HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR Published: 22:26, 6 August 2026 | Updated: 22:41, 6 August 2026 Hundreds of killers are expected to be released early from prison under Labour's soft justice scheme, the Daily Mail can reveal. Up to 363 offenders convicted of manslaughter could walk free from jail by 2029 after serving as little as one third of the sentence handed down by a court, according to a new analysis. Among those due to benefit from the Government's measures include two of the killers of Pc Andrew Harper, whose widow Lissie this week condemned Labour's plan as 'unforgivable'. The Conservatives used official sentencing figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to estimate how Labour's reforms will affect all killers who have been jailed for manslaughter. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: 'Vile killers, like those responsible for Pc Harper's death, should not be freed from prison early. 'Letting hundreds of these dangerous killers back on the streets puts the public at risk and is an insult to the memory of their victims. 'Labour must back our proposal and introduce emergency legislation on the first day Parliament returns to keep these killers behind bars where they belong.' The Tories based their estimate on the number of killers who received an immediate custodial sentence on what is known as a 'standard determinate sentence'. Andrew Harper, posing with his wife Lissie, was killed while responding to an emergency call in Berkshire in 2019  Under Labour's Sentencing Act, passed earlier this year, some of the killers will be eligible for early release after serving 33 per cent of their jail term if they were handed less than four years, providing they have shown good behaviour behind bars. Those handed four years or more will be required to serve half their sentence. The Tories calculated the number of released based on average sentence ranges in 2025, running to 2029 – the expected year of the next General Election. Labour has already freed more than 70,000 from jail under an existing early release scheme, known as SDS40, which was launched two months after the 2024 election. SDS40 does not apply to those convicted of manslaughter – or other violent crimes – if they were handed four years or more.  However, the new scheme does apply to violent criminals serving more than four years, with some exceptions, and also offers even heftier discounts for the vast majority of offenders. Labour claims the moves are necessary to free up space in the overcrowded jails and blame the Tories for not building sufficient places when they were in power. Prime Minister Andy Burnham bowed to pressure earlier this week and announced that rapists and child sex offenders would be barred from the scheme. However, it later emerged that some serving sentences for sex grooming were prosecuted under a different offence, indecent assault, prior to a law change in 2003, and would remain eligible under the scheme. On Thursday it was reported Mr Burnham had told the MoJ to carry out a review of all grooming offenders to ensure they were not within scope of the scheme.  The Police Federation has threatened the Government with potential legal action over the release of two of Pc Harper's killers. In what could be a devastating blow for Labour's policy, chief constable of Pc Harper's Thames Valley force, Jason Hogg, has said he is considering joining legal action to block the releases. Mrs Harper, who successfully campaigned to create a mandatory life sentence for those who kill emergency workers in the line of duty, insisted she 'will not give up' her bid to force a re-think. She said earlier this week: 'We are now faced with a secondary gut punch coming from our own Government. 'The fact we are hearing these absurd reasons for early release, like prisons being too full, is disgraceful and disgusting. 'People making the decisions should be ashamed of themselves. 'I am ashamed to be governed by these politicians. You show nothing but disrespect to Andrew.' Pc Harper was 28 when he suffered horrific fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Berkshire in 2019. He was caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a road. Passengers in the vehicle Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, who were both 17 years old at the time, are set for early release under Labour's measures. Both were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter in 2020. Driver Henry Long, who was 18, was handed 16 years and will not be eligible for early release.