Father’s outrage at MSPs’ ‘snub’ over jail votes protest
THE father of a man who was stabbed to death has criticised MSPs who snubbed him when he protested against plans to give all prisoners the right to vote.
Mev Braid said he was outraged to learn that a powerful Holyrood committee was calling for the enfranchisement of criminals, including killers and rapists.
But when Mr Braid, 78, of Glenrothes, Fife, wrote to members to raise concern about the proposal, he said most of them ignored him, including the Nationalist committee convener Christina McKelvie.
Mr Braid’s son Kevin, 41, was murdered in an outdoor hot tub by former soldier Shaun Alexander in October 2004.
During the same attack, Alexander, who was 32 when he was jailed the following year, murdered Mr Braid’s girlfriend, Nicola Johnstone, 23, Alexander’s estranged wife. She was stabbed eight times as she tried to flee him.
Last night Mr Braid said: ‘As a father who lost a son to knife crime I feel much more qualified to have an opinion on this matter than Patrick Harvie [the Green MSP who asked the committee to investigate prisoner voting].’
Mr Braid wrote to members of the equalities and human rights committee and said that apart Daily Mail, May 11 from automatic email responses, only Tory MSPs Annie Wells and Jamie Greene – who opposed the prisoner voting plan – replied.
On May 15 Mr Braid emailed committee members: ‘I note you are reported as saying the current ban on prisoners’ votes should be lifted. I find it difficult to believe the majority would be in favour.
‘If you had a son or daughter murdered, would you be happy for the perpetrator to vote on issues affecting you and your family? I think not.
‘In my opinion successive Scottish Governments have more sympathy with the perpetrator than the victim.’
In 2005, Alexander had his jail term increased from a minimum of 17 years to 20 years.
The families had vowed to appeal after judge Lady Smith fixed the minimum at 17 years, giving Alexander a seven-year ‘discount’ because he had admitted the double murder.
Last month First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she did not support giving every prisoner the vote, but refused to rule out enfranchising some inmates. The committee report is still being considered.
After the Mail asked why Mr Braid had not received a response from MSPs, parliamentary clerks emailed him, thanking him for his views ‘on this sensitive matter’.