Burnham: I’ll end scandal of indefinite jail terms

The prime minister has announced he will end the injustice of indefinite jail terms in this parliament in a major victory for victims of the scandal.

Andy Burnham said he had taken a “common sense” approach to Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences, which he said he had “long-standing concerns” about.

The Independent has long campaigned for all IPP prisoners to have their sentences reviewed, highlighting the plight of thousands still languishing without a release date.

The action to address IPP comes as the government overhauls plan to release other prisoners early, including two of the killers of Pc Andrew Harper.

"I was faced with a situation where people on those sentences who have more than served their time, not being released when others who've committed very serious crimes being released early," he told the BBC.

"The judgement I've made is the public, in my view, would prefer a situation where people who have served their time to be considered for release before those who haven't."