Andy Burnham Pauses Prison Early Release Plan

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has paused a controversial prison early release scheme pending an urgent review following public backlash. Additionally, he announced a 20% business rate cut for pubs and music venues to support the hospitality sector.
Why it matters
The policy shift reflects the government's struggle to balance prison capacity with public safety concerns and economic support for struggling businesses.
Homepage Accessibility links Skip to content Accessibility Help BBC Account Notifications Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live More menu Search Sounds Home News Sport Weather iPlayer Sounds Bitesize CBeebies CBBC Food Home News Sport Business Technology Health Culture Arts Travel Earth Audio Video Live Close menu BBC Sounds Sounds home page Menu Home Music Podcasts My Sounds Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.
Find out how to listen to other BBC stations
Play Bookmark Bookmark Subscribe Subscribe Available for over a year
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in