European Union Bill

As my hon. Friend knows, the Government are considering how to comply with the Court's decision. Article 3 of the first protocol of the European convention on human rights sets out the right to vote in elections. Importantly, that right extends to elections to legislatures, within the meaning of article 3, so we are not under an obligation to enfranchise prisoners for local elections or referendums, and the policy is that we will not do so. The Government accept the need, as did our predecessor, to change the law to give some prisoners the vote in the light of the Court's judgment. The right to vote will be restricted to UK Westminster parliamentary and European Parliament elections only.