Prisoner Votes - The problem with coalition

Prisoner votes should be an easy win for the Prime Minister. He's against them, and his Conservative Cabinet Ministers (minus Ken Clarke) are against them, but the issue is the ECHR. The solution which has been much mooted is to withdraw from the ECHR and replace it at the same time with a British Bill of Rights (which presumably by some clever wording would make sure prisoners couldn't get voting rights).

This is a fantastic solution, which also delivers a Conservative manifesto pledge, that would also appease the eurosceptics amongst the base and the backbenchers. It may not be an in out referendum on the EU that they all want so much but it would stick two fingers up at the EU for meddling in British affairs, plus resolve the issue of prisoners being given votes which is far from popular with the electorate.

Except we're in coalition and our Liberal partners rather like the EU. The question therefore becomes could the Coalition survive the PM ramming this through (and to complicate matters too, would his Justice Secretary survive) and could we get enough Labour MPs to support a British Bill of Rights (a Conservative Manifesto pledge) to make up for pro ECHR and abstaining Liberal MPs.

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The Coalition Policies

I suppose you could call this the coalition manifesto. It all looks pretty good, although the devil will obviously be in the details.

THE ECONOMY

• Emergency budget within 50 days
• "Accelerated" action to cut the budget deficit: £6bn of spending cuts this year
• Measures to promote financial stability and support business growth
• Next year's 1% National Insurance tax rise to be scrapped
• Phased reform of tax system. Those on less than £10,000 to pay no tax
• New ministerial committee to look at "structural" banking reform
• New tax on financial transactions

EDUCATION

• Investment to reduce class sizes for children from poorer backgrounds
• New independent schools in state sector - "free schools" - to be set up

POLITICAL REFORM

• Referendum on the Alternative Vote system for general elections
• Fixed-term Parliaments - next election in May 2015
• Cut in number of MPs and equal size constituencies
• Right of the public to "recall" corrupt MPs
• Ban on "non-doms" sitting in Parliament
• Reform of political donations and party funding

FOREIGN POLICY

• "War Cabinet" to oversee Afghan mission
• National Security Council to handle security policy
• Strategic defence review to begin as soon as possible
• Trident renewal to go ahead but cost scrutinised
• No further powers ceded to EU without referendum
• UK not to join euro for foreseeable future

CIVIL LIBERTIES

• Great Repeal Bill including abolition of ID cards

IMMIGRATION

• Cap on immigration from outside the European Union

ENVIRONMENT

• Aviation passenger duty replaced by plane tax

FAMILIES

• Tax break for married couples and civil partners (Although Lib-Dems don't have to vote for it)

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