Burnham pledges to end 'indefinite jail' scandal by scrapping IPP sentences before this parliament closes

Andy Burnham has announced he will introduce legislation to abolish Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences before this parliament ends, describing the indeterminate terms as "an injustice" that has caused "real damage." The announcement coincides with a broader government review of early release arrangements affecting prisoners including two of PC Andrew Harper's killers. As of June this year, 856 people remain behind bars on IPP sentences, with a further 1,415 recalled to custody after being released on licence.

Eight in ten of those still imprisoned have gone more than a decade beyond the minimum threshold at which they could be considered for parole.

Burnham told the BBC the public would "prefer" offenders who had completed their sentences freed ahead of those convicted of serious crimes who were let out early.

Marc Conway, a former IPP prisoner and now the head of a campaign group, described the pledge as "an essential first step" following years of family-led campaigning for the reform.