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Voting by Prisoners

My hon. Friend makes a remarkably subtle and nuanced point, which is unusual for him. [Interruption.] I think he knows that I mean that in the kindest way. Following on from his point, I would add that the Court has been wrong to assert that we have a blanket ban in the UK. As has already been said by several speakers, we do not ban those on remand, or those who are in prison by virtue of contempt of court or for fines. It is therefore not a blanket ban, and I think the Court should have taken that into consideration. I want now to refer briefly to the Government's record, as they have hardly covered themselves in glory. [Interruption.] I was not going to make these points until the Attorney-General decided to attack the previous Labour Government; I had crossed these remarks out, but I have now decided to reinstate them. In opposition, one Conservative right hon. and learned Member dismissed the idea of prisoners' votes as ““ludicrous”” and said that"““it will bring the law into disrepute and many people will see it as making a mockery of justice””." I think many people would agree. The right hon. and learned Member who said that was the current Attorney-General. He also said that"““there is no reason why our courts should be bound by Strasbourg Court jurisprudence””" and"““the obligation on the UK to respect Strasbourg Court adverse decisions, in a particular case to which it is a party, is an international treaty obligation and not a legally enforceable matter at all.””" I do not think that is quite what he said this afternoon.