Prisoners would get right to vote under Labour shake-up of election law

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PRISONERS would win the right to vote under a shake-up of election law by the Labour Party.

An official paper calls for voting rights to be extended to over-16s — including lags.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested lags be given proxy votes in a 1996 book

It suggest prisoners should be granted the same entitlements as other UK citizens in local and national elections.

The report, written last year by a Labour staffer, was published as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to launch his own constitutional commission.

Furious Tories branded it an insult to millions of law-abiding citizens and urged the Labour leader to confirm he will block its implementation.

Sir Keir’s allies tried to distance him from the report, which comes as MPs voice concerns at what they see as his lacklustre leadership.

But it emerged that Sir Keir suggested lags be given proxy votes in a 1996 book.

He wrote: “It is difficult to argue that the denial of the right to vote to prisoners is a ‘reasonable’ restriction which can be justified”.

The present recommendation comes in a 234-page document, Remaking Of The British State.

It was drawn up for former leader Jeremy Corbyn by Sean Patrick Griffin, who is now the party’s external governance officer.

The present recommendation Remaking Of The British State was drawn up for ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

Tory MP Richard Holden said: “This is another insult to millions of law-abiding people. As a lawyer, Sir Keir represented criminals and it appears his party’s up for giving them the vote, too.”

Pals of Sir Keir stressed he does not back votes for cons.

He said his 1996 words were a legal analysis, not a political viewpoint.

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