Alex Armstrong grills Justice Secretary for ‘messing around’ family of PC Andrew Harper after U-turn on killers' early release

Alex Armstrong has grilled Justice Secretary Alex Norris for “messing around” the family of PC Andrew Harper after Labour U-turned on granting early release to his killers.

The MP previously told GB News on August 4 that Labour has gone as “far as we can go” in preventing serious offenders from being released early.

However, he admitted that a public outcry has pushed the Government to intervene and amend the plans to block the release of Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole.

Last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that anyone convicted of unlawful killing, including manslaughter, would be exempt from the scheme.

Challenging Mr Norris, Mr Armstrong said: “I'm actually quite disappointed, to be honest with you, Minister.

“You told us: ‘This is as far as we can go. I know this is disappointing. Upsetting to victims and their families, but it's the best we can do.’

“What has changed since the 4th of August when you told us you couldn't do any more?”

“I can only imagine what the victims are feeling, particularly those of PC Andrew Harper's family, who you must have essentially messed around,” the GB News host said.

Mr Norris acknowledged that he had previously claimed his hands were tied, but insisted ministers had subsequently “been able to go further”.

“I accept that I said that we couldn't, but that we've been able to go further,” he said.

The Justice Secretary argued that public and political pressure had prompted ministers to “look again”, adding: “We decided, as the Prime Minister said, let's just lift every single stone there is.”

He said the revised policy represented a “better end state”, arguing that offenders convicted of rape, child sexual offences and now those who have taken a life would be removed from the early-release scheme.

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Alex pressed him on why those options had not been available when he first appeared on GB News.

He asked: “Surely these solutions must have been at least discussed before the public pressure built on the new Prime Minister to do something?”

“I don't quite accept that,” Mr Norris replied, insisting he had spoken: “As plainly as the information I had available on that day”.

However, he conceded: “I accept that people will have a view about that.”

Discussing concerns of those who are granted early release reoffending, Mr Norris insisted: “They're under the most significant controls and the widest set of tools we've ever had.

“Whether that is tagging, whether that's restriction zones, which are a world first, whether that's alcohol tags, whether that's bans on going to the football, on driving.

“All designed around the life of the victim and survivors so that they're living a full life and that their perpetrator is working around them because at the moment it's the other way round.

“That is what we're putting in place in order to protect the individual and to protect public safety."