Parliament for once sticks up for national interest as MPs vote down European ruling
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...EU-ruling.html
Day we stood up to Europe: In an unprecedented move, MPs reject European court's ruling that prisoners must get the vote
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Originally Posted by Daily Mail
MPs mounted an historic defence of Britain’s sovereign right to make its own decisions last night by defying demands from the European courts to hand prisoners the vote. They voted overwhelmingly to maintain a 140-year-old ban on convicts taking part in elections because, they said, those who commit a crime have ‘broken their contract with society’. The decisive stance plunged Parliament into an unprecedented stand-off against the European Court of Human Rights.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daily Mail
After six hours of impassioned debate, MPs voted by 234 to 22 – a majority of 212 – to defy a ruling from the ECHR that the ban must be overturned. Dozens of Conservative backbenchers lined up to insist that after decades of toeing the line, the time has come for Britain to tell unelected Strasbourg judges that they have overstepped their authority.
Experts said the vote left Britain’s relationship with the European court in ‘uncharted territory’. It places the Prime Minister under intense pressure to launch a defining challenge against Strasbourg. Proposing the cross-party motion which ‘supports the current situation in which no prisoner is able to vote’, former Tory shadow home secretary David Davis said: ‘The general point is very clear in this country: that is that it takes a pretty serious crime to get yourself sent to prison.
I'm actually stunned, lets make this more of a habit and send a clear message that the sovereign parliament of the United Kingdom along with its sovereign courts are capable of making decisions for our country as they are accountable to the British people and the British people alone. These guys have a terrible track record when it comes to Europe, but for once I can actually say; well done to those MPs who represented their electorates and voted against this ruling from the European courts. Although that said, I shoudn't really be saying well done as this is only a small part of a massive issue in which numerous MPs have lied and lied to us over again and again - but at least its a start.
See, we can stand up for national interests - and look what happens; nothing, we ourselves remain better off. Next step; a referendum on our membership of the EU and its fellow European bodies, including the ECHR. (but I won't count on it!)
Thoughts?