Spectator, Swastika or Dictator?
"The other revolt, and an issue on which I believe Cameron could well lose, is prisoner voting. Tory MPs are appalled that the coalition has responded to the European Court of Human Right’s ruling against Britain’s blanket ban on prisoners voting with a plan to allow anyone sentenced to less than four years to vote from their cell. Their anger has been heightened by the coalition’s false claims that it has no choice other than to do this. (In truth, it could have complied with the court’s verdict by setting the cut-off point at, say, a year.)
Over the holidays, opposition to the coalition’s enfranchisement of prisoners has grown. If Cameron doesn’t back track, there is going to be a mighty row".
The Spectator is wrong to claim that David Cameron will lose on convicted prisoners in a revolt by rebel Tory backbenchers. The truth is that David Cameron will lose in his challenge to the authority of the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers and Council of Europe.
It is a shame that the Spectator is a fascist publication supporting fascist Tory MPs who are appalled that human beings are entitled to human rights. I am surprised the magazine is not called the Swastika or Dictator, because it was as a result of Hitler's regime that the European Convention was drawn up. It may be recalled that Hitler also ignored the rule of law, just like these fascist Tory rebels are calling upon David Cameron to do. The party of so-called law and order openly calling for the Prime Minister to ignore a decision from the highest court in Europe.
It is true that the coalition has no choice but to fully comply with Hirst v UK (No2), and that means that all convicted prisoners must get the vote, and not those serving under 4 years. It is a lie for the Spectator to claim that the coalition could get away with only allowing those serving a year to vote.
I am glad that this issue has gone up on the political agenda over the holidays. If Cameron does not do as Europe states then he will be in for a big row in Europe. The UK's only option is to fully comply with my judgment or else. I am looking forward to see the UK be the first country to go back before the ECtHR and get a ruling that the UK has failed to comply. Then watch the UK squirm as the sanctions bite.
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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