Simon Kirby MP

Following the revelation that Green MP, Caroline Lucas voted for prisoners to have the vote, Brighton Kemptown MP, Simon Kirby, said Ms Lucas was clearly out of the mainstream and was in a clear minority.

MPs voted yesterday on the issue following a decision handed down from Europe.
Mr Kirby said:
"The more the Greens say and do, the more they show themselves to be at odds with the common sense majority of Brighton and Britain.

"Caroline Lucas' vote, shows she does not understand the very strong feelings this issue raises in the minds of law-abiding citizens.

"This vote, together with Green Party views on massively increasing taxation shows not only that they are out of touch with most people but they are an ideologically driven Party oblivious, it seems, to common sense."

Caroline Lucas MP

Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion responded saying:
"I'm proud to have voted to uphold human rights. The blanket ban is contrary to the rule of law and undermines the principle that in a democracy, voting is both a right and a responsibility.

"Moreover, by failing to comply with the European Court judgement, the UK risks having to pay enormous compensation claims, an unnecessary waste of UK taxpayers' money.

"I've spoken with many in the criminal justice system who believe that removal of the vote runs counter to the rehabilitation of offenders, and I've discussed the issue with constituents in Brighton. Many of them share my views, and those of Dr Peter Selby, former Bishop to HM Prisons and now President of the National Council for Independent Monitoring Boards for Prisons who stated that “Denying convicted prisoners the right to vote serves no purpose of deterrence or reform. What it does is to state in the clearest terms society's belief that once convicted you are a non-person...and as such has no place in expressing a civilised attitude towards those in prison.”