ONE OF the first results of the big Tory majority in the new parliament is that the return of hanging is being openly discussed.
Right wing organising in the House of Commons to try to get a vote on hanging before Christmas.
In the last parliament the attempt to reintroduce capital punishment was defeated, but only because of the overwhelming vote of the opposition benches against it.
While only about ten MPs from Labour and the Alliance voted for hang o he Tories did so. more than two thirds Among hangers Were the prime minister Now that there are twice as many Tory MPs as Labour MPs, a free vote on hangONde o ove a ver different result.
Tirst vote in the House of Commons against cabral punisament was in 1948, a reflection of large Labour MPs after the 1945 Tory MP Teddy Taylor is busy Well known socialists like Aneurin abstained. Eventually House of Lords refused to sanction Attlee's government further.
The final abolition of all hanging, except for war time military offences, in 1969. Between 1961 executions, were only carried out for certain types murder by shooting, Siliforof.But since that so forth. since that time the neandertai section of the Tory party has consistently campaigned for reintroduction.
This time round Teddy Taylor ano nis claim that they have a majority for hanging 'if the issue is posed in the right way,. In other words, they ravour" of hangingte ir favour hanging crimes of 'terrorism' and the killing of police officers and prison warders, and the use of firearms.
There is one massive problem for their plans. Ir 'crimes of terrorism' and the use of firearms is to be the criterion, then the first vem redor tion of capital punishment likely Pro-capital punishment students greeting recent execution in Texas Republicans® The langin of Republicans would lead t enormous outery both north south of the border. It is difficult to see how any British government would dare to risk the scale of disorders would the execution of Irish freedom fighters.
But this kind of objection might not hold much sway with the Tory backA free vote might yet result i victory for tael.
Recent Supreme Court decisions in the United States have resulted in a spate of executions, as the prisoners in death rOW go to their deaths, by Various forms of execution have been used in different states — the electric chair, gassing, shooting by firing squad and in one case a lethal injection. But no form of execution 'humane' own longperfected hanging technique has resulted numerous cases of decapitation and slow strangulation. The fact that many seriously prepared to countenance a return to this barbarism is a sure inaicator or ine social reaction the Tories have set in motion. The maintenance of capital punishment is an indication of the lack of civilisation of a society.
Any chance of its reintroduction would be enormous backwards. That's why if the hanging lobby way, whole Jabour and socialist move ment must exert every effort build gigantic movement to stop it