What's the point of the parliamentary committee that's considering the government's draft bill on prisoners' voting eligibility? A cynic might think its purpose was to take as long as possible to come up with recommendations to a government which has already made it its mind. Indeed, some of its members have said as much. It's now three years since David Cameron said it made him "physically ill" to contemplate giving any convicted prisoners the vote and he still looks pretty queasy.

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