Fraudsters get the vote

Figures have been published this morning showing just how many different types of prisoner would have got the vote last year had the new electoral rules, announced by Justice Secretary Ken Clarke, been in place.

Under the proposals prisoners serving up to four years in prison will be able to vote in general elections by proxy or by post in their normal constituency of residence.

Some of the stats were mentioned in the House yesterday but seeing them all brings the issue into stark focus.

The figures show 1,742 sex offenders, 2,484 robbers, 4,144 burglars, 3,484 thieves, 1,060 fraudsters, 4,306 drug offenders and over 5,000 other more minor offenders would have all got a say in who runs the country.

In total 28,770 prisoners would have been able to vote under the new rules – a new focus group for the party strategists to account for.

More holes in UKBA

KEITH Vaz called for senior Home Office civil servants to be denied bonuses this year after a report from the select committee he chairs revealed failings at the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

The report’s findings were compounded, however, by this little snippet of information that popped out surreptitiously this morning.

Between May 1 and October 31 2010 176 failed asylum seekers did a runner after being served with removal directions.

By December 2010 only 42 had been found and detained. UKBA is currently “in contact” with an additional 15 (whatever that means), and a further two were removed from the UK without being served removal directions.

That leaves 122 who are in the UK illegally. Another point for Vaz’s committee to look into.