Friday, April 30, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Ben
Lecturing
About Me
- prisonerben
- United Kingdom
- Previously known as "one of Britain's best known prisoners...he constantly questions authority and exposes the futility of the system" The Times, Ben was finally released from prison after 32 years in August 2012. Pleading guilty to the murder of a friend when he was 14 years old, he renounced violence and fought for the recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. As a result of speaking truth to power, he served far longer than the recommended 10 years, leading Education Secretary Michael Gove to argue that he had "been punished excessively for a crime committed as a child". One of the more intellectual of prisoner-campaigners, Ben chose to educate himself from schoolboy level to having both undergraduate and post graduate degrees. He is currently one of very few prisoners in Britain ever to attempt a Doctorate. Ben's speciality is non-violent action and the Human Needs Theory. Now on Life Licence, He is forging a career as a CJ policy consultant, writer and - as ever - campaigner.
'Doh!' indeed. They did this last year for our Summer Art Show - sent out all the flyers without a date, time or location!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering - who would you vote for if you had the vote?
ReplyDeleteI am still undecided. I like the idea of Lib Dems forcing a hung Parliament. Labour has been responsible for the Human Rights (except prisoners) Act 1998! Illegal war in Iraq! All 3 leaders are cowards when it comes to convicted prisoners votes.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the possibility that Europe may decide the election result unlawful!
Unsurprisingly, Ben is very strong on individual liberty. So whichever party leaves people alone would get his vote. Unless someone starts a Guy Fawkes party!- Editor
ReplyDeleteJHL is that true? I thought the 'Dems had gone on record as accepting the ruling and, should they have the power, will make it up to judges to decide which offenses should and should not carry the penalty of loss of vote?
ReplyDeleteThe have, in fact, suffered some rather over the top smearing from Labour because of their willingness to engage with the problem:
http://goo.gl/Bd64
Do we know what is being celebrated and on exactly what dates?
ReplyDeletejohn
Wigarse: Under Charles Kennedy's leadership the Lib Dems stated that they were in favour of all convicted prisoners getting the vote. Then the Sun and Daily Mail attacked Kennedy for this position. The Lib Dems rowed back and then said they were only in support of some prisonerts getting the vote. However, as Frodl v Austria 8 April 2010 states, even murderers, rapists and paedophiles are entitled to the vote.
ReplyDelete@ prisoner Ben - hmmm a guy fawkes party (lol) that has got me thinking! Its rather anarchic though, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteI will be voting left if there is a decent left candidate to vote for or, through gritted teeth Labour if I have to.
This lib dem, hung parliament thing could just pave the way for the right and all the disasterous cuts they want (the effing vampires!)so I am not voting lib dems for that reason.
Canada had a hung parliament a couple of years back and it lead to a resurected right government a short while down the line.
I don't think it is in any prisoners interests to see cuts being made to services, it will make life more difficult for them, their friends and families, in jail or not
JHL,
ReplyDeleteTo win a war first you must win the battle. If prisoners' votes were the only election issue, it strikes me that the Dems are offering the best policy, even if it doesn't go as far as you'd like.
Public opinion is so against votes for all prisoners I don't think they could reasonably state that as a policy even if all their members voted for it (which is in itself unlikely).
Ggetting the vote for all prisoners is a much more attainable goal from the position of already having the vote for some and the Lib Dems seem to be committed to that.
Mind you, I'm a long term Lib Dem voter and a party member, so I'm biased ;)
Wigarse: I did win the legal battle.
ReplyDeleteThe ECtHR has already dealt with the public opinion issue, saying it does not count for anything. In any event, I do not accept that public opinion is against it. Ignorance, prejudice and fear are what the media plays on with the public. There is something dishonest about keeping the public in the dark, and then asking them to express an opinion upon what they can see. In the government's own consultation exercise, the majority supported all prisoners getting the vote.
You are missing the point. It does not matter what the Labour, Tory or Lib Dems are or are not in favour of in relation to prisoners votes. This is because the highest court in Europe has already decided that all convicted prisoners are entitled to vote. The Court does not go along with all humans are equal, but some humans are more equal than others.
The UK has until 1 June 2010 to come up with an acceptable solution to its continued violation of human rights or face sanctions from the Council of Europe and European Union.