Opening Pandora's box to find the modern suffragettes

Come into the Secret Garden, Francis Maude. I think it is a good idea that the Tory Party chairman has suggested that some of the rooms at Millbank be renamed after prominent social reformers. Perhaps, Francis Maude will name the room next to the Emily Pankhurst room as the John Hirst room? I won't hold my breath, just in case he has not contemplated this. If we are talking about equality between the sexes and historic significance, then I rank along side this woman from the Suffragette Movement. I followed in her footsteps. Until they stopped at the edge of the jungle, and I pressed on where angels fear to tread. I agree that Polly Toynbee should be left out of this, unless of course, as a mark of disrespect, the small room with the toilet bowl and basin in it is named after her.

Tomorrow is, of course, the 3rd of May 2007, the date set for local elections. However, the blot on the landscape, of this so-called democratic State in the 21st century, is that large sections of the public are being denied inclusion in the franchise. Namely, convicted prisoners in the rotten boroughs which pass for our prisons in this day and age. Many of the prisons date from the Victorian era when the Forfeiture Act 1870 which barred prisoners from voting was passed. If modern Conservatism fails to address this issue of universal suffrage, that is, that it is a basic human right to vote, then one can argue that David Cameron's shop window has the window dressing but that all the stock inside the shop still has a use by date for the 19th century.

Recently, a Court in Scotland ruled that denying prisoners the vote in tomorrow's local elections breached their human rights. The Tory Party is in opposition, and one of the signs of a democracy is a strong opposition. There is an obvious weakness here because they have failed to tackle the Labour Party over this issue. What the Tory Party is saying is that it supports the breach of peoples human rights. Then, there is no obvious difference between the Labour Party and the Conservative party. A vote for either party is a vote for less human rights. I have not decided which party to vote for tomorrow in Hull. It looks like the LibDems will win it. Approximately, 75% of those eligible to vote will not bother voting. I might just join the majority.