MPs rebel over giving the vote to prisoners
By Andrew Grice, Independent, Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Both the Conservatives and Labour are struggling to contain rebellions among their MPs over whether prisoners should get the right to vote at general elections.
A House of Commons debate on the highly charged issue will take place tomorrow. Although the Government has proposed allowing the vote among prisoners serving up to four years in jail, that is likely to be rejected by the majority of Tory backbenchers.
Labour wants to maximise the Tory revolt but has problems in its own ranks. Jack Straw, who has called tomorrow's debate along with the senior Tory MP David Davis, clashed with Lord Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party. And after a heated debate, the Shadow Cabinet agreed to abstain but junior frontbenchers will be allowed a free vote.
Tory MPs hope to restrict the right to prisoners serving up to six months – or even to none at all. Many Labour MPs oppose votes for prisoners in principle, believing the public are hostile, but the Shadow Cabinet is reluctant to support a position which defies the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
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.
I will post this here as I am sure that the mail will not post it in their 'carefuly vetted' comments section. Here goes.
ReplyDeleteThe government are very good at ignoring EU orders and high court rulings; They will only adopt what is financially rewarding to them or liable to win votes. What Cameron said about "having to give prisoners voting rights makes him physically sick" was out and out hogwash. He and his ilk don't give a hoot about US mere mortals, he is just very wary that giving cons the vote will add so many new votes for the BNP and UKIP into the system.
Just a note before you label all cons "filthy scum", my elderly grandfather did time many years ago because he took a moral stance against paying the poll tax, which he thought was a burden on poor people like himself. He went to prison because he took action about a subject that affected all British poor people.
Rogue state here we come as politics trumps principle. Incredible.
ReplyDeleteI was dead right - I must have been one of the first to post my comment in the daily rag, and as usual it goes unpublished. They definitely filter their comments to make it appear that EVERYONE is on the side of the article writer bar a couple of token 'idiots' who get immediately red arrowed.
ReplyDeleteClass reporting by the Daily Mail/rag, what?
btw my word verification here is 'conts'! Describes the DM down to a tee!