MPs back ban on votes for prisoners by 234 to 22

By Jonathan Isaby

The House of Commons has spent all afternoon debating the issue of whether prisoners should have the right to vote, as has been instructed by the European Court of Human Rights.

And after a lively debate, MPs have voted by 234 to 22 in favour of the status quo, passing the following motion tabled by Tory MPs David Davis, Dominic Raab, Stephen Phillips, Philip Hollobone and John Baron along with former Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw:

"That this House notes the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in Hirst v the United Kingdom in which it held that there had been no substantive debate by members of the legislature on the continued justification for maintaining a general restriction on the right of prisoners to vote; acknowledges the treaty obligations of the UK; is of the opinion that legislative decisions of this nature should be a matter for democratically-elected lawmakers; and supports the current situation in which no prisoner is able to vote except those imprisoned for contempt, default or on remand."

It was a free vote for Tory backbenchers, whilst ministers were expected to abstain. Tomorrow morning I will produce a breakdown of how MPs voted and pick out some of the highlights of the debate.

7.15pm update:

Of the MPs who backed votes for prisoners, there was only one Conservative - Sir Peter Bottomley, MP for Worthing West. The remainder were:

10 Lib Dems
    * Alan Beith
    * Tom Brake
    * Lorely Burt
    * Don Foster
    * Duncan Hames
    * Simon Hughes
    * Julian Huppert
    * Tessa Munt
    * Alan Reid
    * Stephen Williams

All 3 Plaid Cyrmu MPs
    * Jonathan Edwards
    * Elfyn Llwyd
    * Hwyel Williams

8 Labour MPs
    * Jeremy Corbyn
    * Barry Gardiner
    * Kate Green
    * Glenda Jackson
    * Andy Love
    * Kerry McCarthy
    * John McDonnell
    * Yasmin Qureshi

1 Independent MP
    * Sylvia Hermon

The 1 Green MP
    * Caroline Lucas

> This morning David Davis MP wrote exclusively for ConHome: Today's vote on prisoners' rights is an historic opportunity to draw a line in the sand on European power