A View From Middle England - Conservative with a slight libertarian touch - For Christian charity and traditional belief - Free Enterprise NOT Covert Corporatism

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Convicted prisoners may get vote

There was a time when a felon was in prison without privileges. I was always taught at school that a privilege was something extra to normal daily life. Like going on a school trip. That was a privilege. Then the sanctimonious lefties got in and started using the word to have a go at "toffs". "They're privileged," they would say, commenting on public schools and the like.

So is it any wonder that prisoners may get the right to vote, because the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled a ban on voting rights was unlawful? Not really. The ECHR is so keen to talk of rights that they completely forget about privileges. It is no more a right for a prisoner to vote than for a pig to have a pilot's licence. I'm all in favour of proper corrective punishment and remedial care whilst in prison. But Thomas Cook is not in charge of prisons. No merry escapades and parties of pleasure, please.

Are we to get hustings in jail? David Dimbleby hosting Question Time from Winson Green Prison? In marginal seats it could be the villains that swing the vote. How many honourable members with small majorities want it known that the convict vote got them to the House? The whole idea is preposterous.

David Cameron says that child killers and serial murderers should be left off the list. That still allows rapists, wife murderers and the rest a voice at the ballot box. It's bizarre. "What are you going to do for us?" "Well, if I'm elected, you'll get jacuzzis, free lotto tickets and steak dinners every Saturday night!" "We'll vote you, but only if you add in a 'get out of jail' wildcard" "OK, it's a deal".

What a world!

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