We're All Prisoners Now

The Guardian reports that the government is under increasing pressure to grant prisoners the right to vote. Now an even stronger warning has come from Brussels  strongly urging British authorities "to rapidly adopt measures, of even an interim nature, to ensure the execution of the court's judgment before the forthcoming general election".

It is stated in the report that Bob Cummings, the chief executive of the ex-offenders' organisation Unlock, said: "Giving prisoners the vote is a question of moral conscience not political conscience. If prisoners are excluded from voting, then we don't have a democratic society – we are just paying lip service to one. The government must accept that prisoners remain citizens of this country with legitimate human rights, including the right to vote."

Now there is an argument that if someone breaks the rules of society then he/she should not be able to enjoy priveleges of society - one of which is the right to vote - and is why he/she is in prison. However, if one accepts the statement of Bob Cummings, we are all prisoners now on the basis the politicians of the Labour, Conservative and LibDem parties have refused the citizens of this country, who have legitimate human rights including the right to vote, any say on our membership of the European Union.

Hey Bob, welcome to our non-democratic society!