MPs to get free hand on prisoners’ votes

Conservative MPs look set to be given a free vote on a Commons motion opposing votes for prisoners.

The motion, tabled by Tory former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis and Labour’s former Justice Secretary Jack Straw, is due for debate next Thursday and is expected to receive support from MPs of all parties. If he attempts to impose a whip on Tory backbenchers, David Cameron may face his biggest rebellion since becoming Prime Minister.

Asked yesterday whether the PM would instead allow backbenchers to vote according to their consciences, Mr Cameron’s spokesman told reporters: “That would certainly be consistent with what we have been saying about the House expressing a view and us listening to that view. We will take that into account when we think about what we do next.”

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The Government is currently proposing to allow the vote to all inmates serving less than four years, in response to a European Court of Human Rights ruling which could otherwise open up the floodgates to compensation claims of millions of pounds.