Rights vs Responsibilities

For those of you that know me, you will be aware that I have a real issue with this government's obsessions with rights. In my 2005 General Election literature, I clearly stated that, in my view, commit a crime you start to forfeit your rights. I stand by that view today.

The news is once again dominated by criminal's rights taking presedence ove the law-abiding public's rigths. Armed hijackers, rapists and serious offenders have all be treated leniently, thus endangering the public, because of their rights.

WHAT ABOUT THEM HAVING TO ACCEPT RESPONIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS AND ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR WRONGS.

The European Human Rights Convention has created an unacceptable shift of balance in favour of the criminal and it must be reversed.

I also read that a group of prisoners are taking the government to court because it is against their rights to be banned from taking drugs in prison. How long will it be before we are told that prison is against criminals' right and so will be outlawed?

The government must, first and foremost, protect the public. This has to take presedence over the rights of individual criminals, so it is time to have a review of the European Human Rights Act. At worst, make serious amandments to it - at best - scrap it. British Law did a good enough job at protecting us before this European Act was forced upon us.