Tory revolt on prisoner votes
A REVOLT against giving prisoners the vote put ministers under growing pressure from Tory MPs last night.
The controversial measure demanded by a European court faces a crucial Commons debate next week.
Two backbenchers yesterday called for the Government to ignore rulings from Strasbourg that denying inmates the right to take part in elections breaches their human rights. Rising Tory star Dominic Raab, MP for Esher and Walton, insisted that the European court did not have the power to order Britain to give the vote to prisoners.
And Anne Main, MP for St Albans, urged the Government to refuse to pay any compensation.
Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke has argued that the Government has to overhaul the voting rules or risk paying out millions.
But in an article, Mr Raab wrote: “It is time Britain drew a line in the sand. We can pay due deference to the European Court of Human Rights by having the Parliamentary debate it called for. But if Parliament then votes to maintain the current ban and MPs have been given a free vote Strasbourg will have to respect it.”
