Phi Wire Hand Picked Politics - Live

  • Polly Toynbee | Jeremy Hunt's blundering blaming of GPs makes for bad politics

    • source icon
    • 20:30
    • Comment is Free

  • Cathy Newman | Well I don't think I've ever interrupted anyone as much as I just did @anjemchou...

    • source icon
    • 19:47
    • Cathy Newman

  • The government is claiming credit for a reduction in the immigration figures. B...

    • source icon
    • 19:19
    • Roger Helmer

  • Political Scrapbook | Green Party try to give Kitcat the finger on Brighton Council

    • source icon
    • 19:17
    • Political Scrapbook

  • Catherine Mayer | Cameron's Gamble

    • source icon
    • 19:13
    • Time magazine

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

  • PoliticsHome | Only the latest five entries on the PhiWire are visible to non-subscribers

    • Sign up to see last 24 hours

PoliticsHome. All Todays Politics In One Place

Story Tracker

Select Story:

Draft bill on prisoner voting published

Draft bill on prisoner voting published
A draft bill which could lead to prisoners being given the vote has been presented to the Commons.

In a statement to the House, Chris Grayling outlined a bill which would see MPs able to vote three ways: to give the vote to those who have been in prison for four years or less, six months or less or to keep a blanket ban in place.

The draft bill will now be sent to a joint committee of peers and MPs for pre-legislative scrutiny before it returns to the Commons.

The Government is under pressure from the European Court of Human Rights to allow at least some prisoners the vote, but last month David Cameron made his position clear, saying they “should not get the vote”.

Former Policing Minister Nick Herbert said the debate today was simply the Government playing for time with the European Court of Human Rights.

“I think it’s doubtful that this will comply with what the European Court of Human Rights wants, and it seems as if the Government is effectively just playing for time.

"I think [it] just demonstrates the absurdity of the situation that we are in: that our elected House of Commons has voted by a ten-to-one majority...historically we have always decided that it is wrong that prisoners of any kind other than remand prisoners should be given the vote, and now we have a super-national court deciding on, I think, the spurious grounds that this is a human right that prisoners should be required to have the vote."

Related News

Green Box: Draft bill on prisoner voting published Click to open

+ Expand all - Collapse all

Recommended External Links

Full access for £22 a month...

PoliticsHome PRO Find out more

Related PRO Content

Free Trial

On air

Nick Herbert: Government is playing for time with ECHR

22/11/2012 on Today, BBC Radio 4

On air

Lord Lester: Failure to give prisoners the vote dimishes our reputation

22/11/2012 on Today, BBC Radio 4

House of Commons

Grayling outlines prisoner vote bill

22/11/2012

Press Release

Labour: Labour's policy is that prisoners should not be given the vote

22/11/2012 on Labour Party

Press Release

Law Society statement on the prison votes plan

22/11/2012

On air

Bob Neill: Europe should not interfere on UK voting rights

22/11/2012 on The World At One, BBC Radio 4

On air

Sadiq Khan: Govt must publish prison vote legal advice

22/11/2012 on BBC News

On air

Lord Lester: Govt's prison vote position shameful

22/11/2012 on BBC News

Latest PRO Content

Free Trial

On Air

Summaries and transcripts from TV and radio

Sadiq Khan: We must value Britain's open society

23 minutes ago on BBC News

William Hague: Middle East is offering me its condolences on Woolwich attack

2 hours ago on BBC News

Philip Hammond: Murder of Lee Rigby a terrible loss

4 hours ago on Sky News

See all On Air

Commons Reports

MPs pass equal marriage bill

21/05/2013

Transcript

Prime Minister's statement on Woolwich attack

Today

See all Transcripts

Press Releases

TIME magazine cover: David Cameron - The Good European

2 hours ago

See all Press Releases

Lobby Briefings

No 10: PM echoes Hunt comments on Nicholson

21/05/2013

See all Lobby Briefings