News today comes of the decision to allow prisoners the right to vote. The decision was made after a long-running battle between ministers and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This will lift the ban and give the opportunity for more than 70,000 inmates to discover which side of political fence they are on.
David Cameron is said to be 'exasperated and furious' at abolition of the 140-year blanket ban on prisoner voting. Cabinet officer Mark Harper told MPs that:
"The UK's blanket ban on prisoners voting was declared unlawful by the European Court of Human Rights in October 2004.
"This Government accepts, as did the previous government, that there is a need to change law.
"It's a legal obligation, not a choice, and we are considering how to implement the judgement."
After a challenge from John Hirst, the ECHR ruled in 2004 that the blanket ban was discriminatory and was a breach of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Shockingly, advisors were warned that in ignoring this ruling, they may be left with a colossal compensation payout, totalling millions.
Juliet Lyon from the Prison Reform Trust has come out with the controversial statement:
'In a modern prison system you would expect prisoners to have rights and responsibilities and politicians to take an active interest in their constituency prisons.'
I can envisage a whole load of controversy sparked as a result if this latest example of what many believe are the wide open human rights floodgates. Are the installation of mobile phones, televisions and Xboxes simply not enough for those who do end up with a conviction? Obviously not! It appears their political affiliation now needs to be known to our democratic, 'civilised' society.
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