Jeremy Corbyn ‘very strongly believes’ criminals behind bars should be able to vote in elections

JEREMY Corbyn has backed the rights of all prisoners to vote in elections, it emerged last night.

In a speech the Labour leader said he “very strongly believes” criminals behind bars should be able to cast a vote.

A video obtained by The Sun shows Mr Corbyn making the revelation at an Amnesty International Conference in 2012.

He told a crowd: “When, for example, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that prisoners have a right to vote – which is something I personally believe very strongly, they do have a right to vote.

“They have that right to vote in South Africa and I believe that should be a right that is extended all across Europe.”

But last night Tory backbencher Philp Davies said it was unacceptable for serious offenders to be able to vote for the politicians who set the law.

He blasted: “This is another example of why Jeremy Corbyn is unfit to be Prime Minister.

“If criminals are so keen on the vote then they shouldn’t commit the crimes that get them sent to prison in the first place.

“The only people depriving prisoners of the vote are the prisoners themselves by committing crimes.”
There was no mention of votes for prisoners in Labour’s election manifesto.

MPs voted in 2011 to keep the current ban on prisoner voting and have repeatedly refused to bow to pressure from the European Court of Human Rights - who claim our ban is unlawful.

The Strasbourg based court has ruled four times that Britain should lift its ban on prisoner votes.

Former PM David Cameron once said the idea of letting prisoners vote made him feel “physically sick”.