Votes for prisoners provokes a storm
NOVEMBER 2010: THIS week, the news that has motivated the people of the North West of England to write to their Member of the European Parliament was David Cameron’s announcement that criminals in prison will be given the right to vote.
There has been a big reaction to the Conservative Prime Minister's initiative and every single letter and email received has denounced the decision as 'madness'.
In a letter to all those who have written in to their MEP, Constituency Office manager Tina Wingfield wrote:
"Mr Griffin has noted your comments and thanks you for taking the time to share them with him.
Please be assured that British National Party policy is very clear on this issue: those who have committed sufficient crimes to merit imprisonment have infringed society’s rules. They have, in consequence, forfeited their “right” to freedom and this includes the right to vote in elections.
Rights come with responsibility and it is the duty of all individuals to abide by the law of the land and to show respect for their fellow citizens. Mr Griffin rejects the liberal consensus which confuses the criminal for the victim; in his view it is the protection, best interests and rights of law-abiding citizens - not the perpetrators of crime - that must form the core focus of our criminal justice system. The ‘softy-softy’ approach to convicted criminals, imposed on Britain by EU human rights legislation, will serve only to embolden the criminally-inclined and undermine the deterrent effect of imprisonment.
This EU interference in our justice system is just one of countless reasons why Britain should withdraw immediately from the European Union."
