am i missing something here?   no replies? where is pp when you want him/her

Hi machel.

Having managed to shake Damien Hirst out of my head.....
....I presume you mean the prisoner who wanted the right to vote whilst in prison.
Following the European Court of Human Rights, and pressure on our government to change the law, a backbenchers motion was voted on in the House yesterday.


There are some strong feelings among MPs and the votewas overwhelming.
Personally I can't whip up any strong feelings about it.
I don't mind prisoners having a vote while in prison.
I think there are more important aspects of a prisoners treatment than voting in elections.

Apart from Hirst being a fairly distasteful spokesman, I too have no problem with prisoners voting.

The only thing I would say is that it should be a postal vote, so that places with large prisons in their constituency, don't have skewed results.

while i agree with human rights when you break the law and go to prison you lose some rights and voting should be one of them,  the interview on local news was exraordinary in that hirst was jubliant that he was making a law and when asked about the morality of the situation and the human rights of the woman he murdered (although reduced to manslaughter as it was judged he was AMORAL)  he began shouting f*** o** over and over again and walked away

Hirst may be a very unpleasant man.
But I don't mind prisoners having a vote.
If they have to be deprived of something, perhaps ensuring they don't have access to drugs might be more useful.  Also much more work on rehabilitation wouldn't go amiss.

The man gives me the creeps a few others have managed, but I agree with eveything blizzie said.

It doesn't bother me if they get the vote.So many folk don't vote anyway.

cologne, you are very wise! 


brisket, good point about the drugs. 

I should think that the last thing anyone going to prison worries about, is losing their voting rights.
Although, seeing as more and more politicians are becoming inmates, maybe that will change.

Maybe, prisoners being allowed to vote will help more of them to become engaged in society and actually start thinking about how criminal activity damages it. I can't see it doing any harm, at all.

Wonder what the number of prisioners voting would be if/when they are allowed to, i'd guess that it would be a high percentage as in prision there isnt really alot to do.

So with this in mind would there not be election campaigns and government policies aimed at making prisioners lives easier/better just to gain these votes?

As long as the prisoners only get to vote for an MP in the constituency that they came from, before going to prison, I don't think it would make that much of a difference.

If a large prison population came from a certain constituency, then prospective MPs would also be seeking to reassure the rest of their constituents that they would be tackling the high level of crime in that area.

Makes sense Blizzie.

I think they should be able to vote seeing as the best (or worst?) criminals get a vote right now anyway cos they are too good to get caught/sent down

I'm just watching last night's QT (PC was playing up), I have a feeling that one of the reasons MPs voted against it has to do with Hirst initiating this by taking his case to the ECHR. I listened to him on the Radio some months ago and I started off thinking the whole thing was some kind of April Fool's thing because of the way he spoke about his crime, anyway, I cottoned on and was utterly horrified, so he doesn't lend himself to being the best advocat for this. Hes's very lucky to have his freedom.

I do not think rapists or murderers or paedophiles should be allowed to vote.
I do not believe for one minute it would make them more socially aware.

They are in prison for  a reason - why should they be granted any rights of the free man/woman?

It depends what they're in for. If they're in for murder, extreme violence, rape, child abuse or any other disgusting crime I for one really am not interested in their opinion of who they think should be running the country. I'm absolutely amazed that anyone could think they have a right to anything at all, much less voting.

I dont think they should have the right to vote ...

Please don't bring my name into topics in which I have had no involvement - thanks!!

You are involved in it though. *looks up* Yep.

Well heres my opinion (after thought and debate and booze )

I think prisioners who are going to be be free and living out in society under which ever party is elected should be allowed to vote as they will have served their time and will ahve to live with whatever policies said party implement..... People who will still be incarcerated for the majority of the that governments stay (ubtil the next election) should not get a vote as they are not living within society (imo prision is its own 'bubble' society)  and therefore dont need to have a say on how/which the government do things

No can't agree.
They may well have done their time but they should just "suck it up" and put up with whatever government is in.

 i  thought you may enjoy a serious debate, however,  prison should be punishment first and rehabilitation second,  i wouldn't object to d category prisoner being allowed to vote as s/he will be coming to the end of their sentence

I would be happy enough for those who are due to be released within that government's term of office to have the vote

No vote.

I don't think convicted prisoners should have the right to vote.
If you want to retain your right to vote, then don't commit crimes and end up in prison.

While they're at it why not let them out for the day to the polling booths> what a crazy idea