Government To Indefinitely Resist ECHR Ruling On Prisoner Voting

Following a ruling by the European court of human rights stating that prisoners must be given the right to vote, David Cameron has said he believes he will be able to indefinitely resist the move.

Cameron told MPs: "I have always believed that when someone is sent to prison they lose certain rights, and one of those rights is the right to vote. Crucially, I believe that it should be a matter for parliament to decide, not a foreign court. Parliament has made its decision, and I completely agree with it."

The ECHR has given the British government six months to comply with its ruling, but government sources said they would use a provision to embark on a continuous delay.

The appeals section of the ECHR reaffirmed its decision that a blanket ban against all prisoners voting is illegal and gave Britain six months to comply. "Further unnecessary delay could not be contemplated, having regard to the time which had already passed," the court said.

But ministers believe a concession by the court giving each state discretion on how to implement the ban will allow them to report back every year for an indefinite period on how the process is going.

The Tory MP Dominic Raab, who has campaigned against the ECHR ruling, said: "This is a good day for British democracy. For years, Strasbourg has created novel rights and shifted the human rights goal posts, hijacking the legislative role of elected lawmakers.

"The prime minister is absolutely right to defend our democratic authority. The decision will have zero negative practical consequences for us, because we can't be fined and compensation awards are unenforceable, but it draws an important constitutional line in the sand."

(H)