Prison votes verdict is up the poll
by Tony Parsons, Daily Mirror 12/02/2011
WHY shouldn’t prisoners have the vote? Tory MPs are getting their Y-fronts in a twist with the European Court of Human Rights, who insist that prisoners should not be disenfranchised.
“I don’t see any reason why prisoners should have the vote,” says Cameron.
Here is a reason. Prison is not just about punishment. It is also about rehabilitation. Prison is not about removing someone from society. Prison is – hopefully – teaching them a lesson so that they can start again when they get out.
I loathe European bossiness as much as the next man. In fact, I probably hate it far more than the next man. But Strasbourg is right on this one – prison inmates should have the vote. All of them. And if the rest of us can choose our MPs – or MEPs, lawmakers and local police chiefs – then prisoners should have that right too. Whatever they have done.
Democracy is not just about giving the vote to nice people. Democracy is about giving the vote to everyone.
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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