After this public announcement at the end of last year, we are now well into the New Year, its now Easter and Iain Dale remains publicly tight lipped about the issue. I think, at the very least, he should announce if he has changed his mind, and if this is the case, offer some explanation for his retraction. I get the feeling that there is something to hide. What are you hiding Iain?
"Prisoners and the Right to Vote
One of our regular viewers on 18 Doughty Street and a regular commenter on this blog is jailhouselawyer. His real name is . John Hirst and he has strong views on the issue of prisoners being given the right to vote. It was he (while serving a sentence for manslaughter) who took the government to the European Court of Human Rights and won. As a result, the government, through gritted teeth, has issued a consultation document today outlining the possible ways forward..
At the last election the LibDems supported giving prisoners, including murderers and rapists, the right to vote. Mark Oaten believes now it cost them many votes. Nick Clegg has now reversed their position.
Government ministers are privately spitting blood about being forced down this road, but apparently the British government has never ignored an ECHR judgement so they think their hands are tied.
I remain of the view that if society judges your offence to be so serious that you should lose your liberty you should also lose your freedom to elect the government.
In the new year I'm going to invite John Hirst and a range of guests onto 18 Doughty Street to discuss the issue at length".
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
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