Why have the Tories got into such a lather about prisoners having the right to vote?

[sandyRoe]

I'd have thought the few prisoners interested in voting would probably be Conservatives.

[craft1948]

No Sandy they'd nearly all vote Labour, who kept them all on benefits for so many years..............

[sandyRoe]

One of the most famous prisoners of recent times was Geoffrey Archer. Can't imagine him voting Labour.

[craft1948]

Okay Sandy so that would have been...................1 vote.

[Philtaz]

Maybe there'll be a few more Tory voters getting a stripey suntan once Leveson has finished and certain former News International employees are brought to book.

[Davethedog]

Kenneth Noye was a landowner and had a large house and he never claimed benifits.

[sandyRoe]

He didn't need to. Didn't he get a golden handshake from somebody?

[commoner]

..mm...think it's more about removing rights from the naughty boys and girls who have had the audacity to break the laws of the land....there are some who would remove all of their rights...the "bread and water" brigade is alive and well imo...:-)

Of course there is the other small fact that the EU Lords say we can't...Heh! heh! Not 'avin' that. Oh no!

[jake-the-peg]

The ruling actually acknowledged that the UK had a very wide discretion in determining whic convicts could and couldnot vote.

They will doubtlessly limit this to people say serving less than 6 months or and turn around and hail it as a great victory over Europe!

You heard it here first!

[commoner]

I thought that the ruling was that ".....individual (EU) governments can decide how to implement a ban on convicted prisoners voting."

Doesn't that mean they can decideto ban anyone with a custodial sentence from voting if they so wish?....No?....or is it only if the particular country's decision suits the All powerful EU Lords..mmm...to

[FredPuli43]

It's a ruling against a 'blanket rule'. The effect is to allow the UK to say nobody in jail can vote unless [pick a category]. We could make unless it's for a motoring offence, or unless it's for fiddling your expenses as an MP, or unless it's a sentence of one month or less or...

[craft1948]

.............or unless you're a Tory voter.