Britain to allow voting in prisons

British prison inmates are poised to win the right to vote in a decision set to inflame tensions within the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition Government.

Aides for Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said late yesterday that blanket ban on Britain's 88,000 prisoners taking part in elections cannot continue. Clegg took control of the issue from Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, in July.

Britain is being forced to act because of a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights and criticism from the Council of Europe. Prisoners are now being encouraged to sue the government and receive up to £750 ($1252) each in compensation.

Clegg's team is examining how far up the sentence scale to extend the new right. A spokeswoman said: "There needs to be a change to the current situation in the light of the court cases but we don't support the blanket rights for prisoners to vote."

The move will be bitterly opposed by many Conservatives.

A senior figure close to the Ministry of Justice said: "[Prisoners] may be our customers but this is Nick Clegg's problem."

As Clegg braces himself for recriminations from the Right, he will today plead with restive Liberal Democrats to keep faith in his leadership as he hints that he could do a deal with Labour - who the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats kicked out of office in May - after the next election.

Clegg spent the first day of this year's Liberal Democrat conference on the back foot as he was accused by activists of jeopardizing the party's future by governing with Prime Minister and Conservative leader David Cameron.

Clegg will use his keynote speech today to try to reassure his party that it will never become an adjunct of the Conservatives. "This is the right government for right now," he will say.

(Published by Herald Sun - September 20, 2010)