By IANS,
London : Around 28,770 prisoners serving four years or less in British jails will now be allowed to vote in the country’s general elections and European Parliament polls, a media report said Thursday.
Figures obtained by the Labour Party said the 28,770 prisoners include 1,753 sex offenders, 2,486 robbers, 4,188 burglars, 3,517 thieves, 1,066 fraudsters, and 5,991 serving time for violence.
Around 4,370 are in prison for drug crimes and 857 for motoring offences, The Sun reported.
Prime Minister David Cameron, however, said the decision – taken to meet a legal obligation to the European Court of Human Rights – made him “physically ill”.
Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan said: “This is a slap in the face for victims of crime.” He said only those serving one year or less should get to vote.