Monday, 30 November 2009

Votes For Prisoners?

No, Marcel Berlins. A thousand times, no.

There could not be a clearer example of why no ruling of, among other things, the ECHR should have any effect in this country unless or until confirmed by resolution of the House of Commons.

How many European countries do let prisoners vote? Very, very few, I'd bet.

Anyway, if you want votes for prisoners, then vote Lib Dem. If you don't, then don't.

26 comments:

  1. "How many European countries do let prisoners vote? Very, very few, I'd bet."

    In the EU, prisoners are allowed to vote in France, the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Romania. In Germany, they can vote unless convicted of electoral fraud and crimes undermining the "democratic order". In the Republic of Ireland, prisoners are allowed to vote but until recently were effectively barred because they could not get to a polling station - since 2006, they have been allowed a postal vote. Non-EU countries which allow prisoners to vote include Australia, Canada, Norway, Peru, Serbia, Japan, Israel and Kenya.

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  2. So that's seven and bit out of 27 in the EU.

    And eight out of however many in the rest of the world.

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  3. There are no legal restrictions on prisoners voting in 18 European countries. Eight do impose restrictions - most of these are in Eastern Europe and the former USSR.

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  4. Make your minds up.

    And I thought we now liked "Eastern Europe and the former USSR"? In which, are you including Germany for this purpose?

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  5. "Slow" and "Timothy" haven't actually contradicted each other, although they may be working from different sources - it doesn't look to me like they're trying to have a fight; I think they're being helpful, since you asked a question and they both answered it. I have no idea whether or not they like Eastern Europe and the former USSR, but it's pretty irrelevant to your factual question about which EU countries let prisoners vote. I'd have thought Germany does count as "Eastern Europe" for these purposes - if "Slow" is correct, then it does have some restrictions on prisoners voting.

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  6. As should we.

    A total restriction, in fact.

    So don't vote Lib Dem.

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  7. What's "like" got to do with it? Most of: Armenia; Bulgaria; the Czech Republic; Estonia; Hungary; Luxemburg; Romania and Russia are in Eastern Europe and the USSR, and these are the EU countries (other than the UK) which ban prisoners from voting.

    In other words, 18 of the 27 EU states have no ban on prisoner voting. You lose your bet. But I wouldn't worry - we all make mistakes from time to time.

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  8. What, like suggesting that Armenia and Russia are in the EU?

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  9. Exactly. Dumb error, my mistake.

    Now it's your turn...

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  10. Abe is confused - I think he means Council of Europe, not European Union.

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  11. Abe got something wrong, you got something wrong. Call it quits.

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  12. "Quits" is not a David Lindsay word.

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  13. He's a changer-of-the-subject, not a quitter.

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  14. Seriously Mandy, he has been known to bear a grudge.

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  15. Just a bit Tom, just a bit.

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  16. I make no apology for changing it back to the topic.

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  17. The NuLabs in all parties are on here in force I see. Only their fellow shysters, junkies and nonces would still vote for them so they have to be given a vote from behind bars.

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  18. "Only their fellow shysters, junkies and nonces would still vote for them", assuming that the rest of us give ourselves any alternative.

    Remember, if you vote for any of them, then this is what you are voting for: dirty money, drugs effectively legalised, the age of consent effectively lowered to 13 or below, polling stations in prisons, and the final authority of foreign courts (or of a nominally domestic court deferring thereto and detached from a parliamentary process in relation to which it is "Supreme").

    So don't vote for any of them.

    Make alternative arrangements.

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  19. All the critical comments have been posted from prison. I guarantee it.

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  20. Sadly, these are the people who should be rather than the people who are. They do far more damage than the people who are, who would themselves have done far less damage, and who would be far less numerous, without them.

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  21. You've criticized the Afghan war, the screeching for war against Iran, and the Demjanjuk show trial. So this harassment is only to be expected.

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  22. And you will insist that they are all old Commies and Trots. No wonder they hate you quite so much, what with that and the opposition to drugs, child sex and funny money.

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  23. Your real crime is to be about to give an electoral choice to the people they think are their serfs who pay tribute at the ballot box.

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  24. Not just that, Tim, he stands in the way of putting in a supporter of partial birth abortion as all AWS candidates for Labour have to be and all new LD have had to be since some time in the 90s.

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