Prisoners 'should be allowed to vote'

A 134-year-old law which deprives prisoners of the vote should be overturned, according to a new campaign.

Politicians from the three major parties were joined by church leaders and prison reform groups in the call to reverse the ban.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said: "If we want people to return to their communities as law-abiding citizens, we must encourage them to play a positive part in shaping their futures by their own efforts and commitment."

He was joined in calls to restore the vote by former Conservative minister Peter Bottomley and senior Labour MP David Winnick.

Ex-offenders' charity Unlock and the Prison Reform Trust were also backing the campaign.

The law that strips convicted inmates of voting rights dates back to 1870.

The Representation of the People Act 1983 contains the current legislation which bars sentenced prisoners from voting.

England and Wales have the highest imprisonment rate in the European Union, at 141 for every 100,000 of population.

Apart from the UK, seven other European countries have an automatic bar on inmates voting - Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Luxembourg and Romania.

The Bishop of Worcester, Peter Selby, the Prison Governors' Association and Chief Inspector of Prisons Anne Owers were also backing the campaign.

Most watched News videos