Minister backs prisoner votes as Miliband defuses revolt

12 April 2012

A Liberal Democrat minister today backed prisoners being given the vote as the Government agonises over the controversial move.

Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone blogged that inmates should be allowed to take part in elections, following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.

Ahead of a Commons vote on the issue on Thursday, she wrote yesterday: "I will vote for prisoners to get the vote."

But David Cameron has ordered ministers to abstain during the vote on a motion tabled by Labour's Jack Straw and Tory David Davis which calls for the current ban to be kept. Today Ms Featherstone said she would abstain, arguing that the motion was about maintaining the "status quo" so did not enable her to vote for prisoner votes.

"However, my opinion remains as per my previous post," she added.

Labour leader Ed Miliband defused a threatened revolt by frontbenchers by telling only his shadow cabinet to abstain, giving a free vote to other MPs.

Mr Straw has denied having a row with Lord Prescott at a meeting of the parliamentary party last night. He said they had just expressed different opinions on the issue.

Meanwhile, John Hirst, the killer who led the campaign for prisoners to get the vote, sparked fury by boasting he had taken Parliament "hostage" and MPs would have to "surrender".

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