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Tim Iredale
Political editor, Yorkshire & Lincolnshire
Death penalty would not prevent another Huntley says MP
MP Martin Vickers argues that Ian Huntley should never be eligible for parole
The MP whose constituency was home to the child killer Ian Huntley has said he must never be released from prison.
The Conservative MP for Cleethorpes, Martin Vickers, was speaking ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the Soham murders.
However, Mr Vickers said he did not support the return of the death penalty.
Speaking to BBC Look North, Martin Vickers said: "I do believe that people like Huntley should be in jail for life and it should be a spartan regime while they are there.
"In regards to the death penalty, my fear is that if we have juries that are making decisions over life and death it will make them more reluctant to convict and there will be more dangerous murderers on the streets than there are now."
Systems of justiceIan Huntley is serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who were both 10 years old.
In 2005, a High Court judge ordered that Huntley must serve at least 40 years in prison.
Although there is little chance of capital punishment being restored in the UK - it is currently illegal under EU law - a number of MPs still support the death penalty.
Conservative MP Philip Davies recently travelled to Florida, where 73 people have been executed since the death penalty was reintroduced in the US state in 1979.
Lethal injection is now the main method of execution in the 'Sunshine State'.
Speaking to BBC Sunday Politics on his visit to the USA, Mr Davies said: "I am confident this is the right system of justice.
“Start Quote
End Quote Philip Davies MP Conservative, ShipleyI am confident this is the right system of justice”
"When the backlash does come, it is not inconceivable that the UK does decide to bring back the death penalty."
Recent online petitions have called for the return of the death penalty, but there are currently no plans to debate the subject in Parliament.
MPs voted to suspend capital punishment in 1965 and it was abolished altogether for most crimes in 1969.
Various attempts to restore the death penalty in subsequent years have been defeated in the House of Commons.
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Comment number 12.
Cat17th July 2012 - 22:27
Rehab doesn't work for the majority. Either make being imprisoned feel like imprisonment - i.e an infringement of human rights these monsters have happily stolen from others - or save the economy a fortune by bringing back the death penalty. Society does not have a duty of care to the likes of Huntley. Where was his duty of care when he was a caretaker at a school?!
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Comment number 11.
Roy16th July 2012 - 9:30
If I remember correctly, the death penalty was abolished in 1964 but retained for the crime of treason. Is this still the case ?
Secondly, it is extremely difficult to imagine a future debate followed by a 'yes' vote to reintroduce capital punishment. On the other hand, the prison service, rehabilitation etc unfortunately does not work.
Justice ? When will we tackle real issues ?
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Comment number 10.
K9Col16th July 2012 - 1:00
I would add to LLJP the Guildford 4, Birmingham 6, Bridgewater 3, Cardiff 3, plus the unfortunate women who were convicted of killing their own child/children, to name but a few who would almost certainly gone to the gallows although eventually found not guilty. Their are others who have also been in this position but I am unable to remember all their names.
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Comment number 9.
luditus16th July 2012 - 0:09
Martin Vickers says ".....there will be more dangerous murderers on the streets than there are now."
Is there such a thing as a safe murderer?
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Comment number 8.
Edin_Andy15th July 2012 - 22:46
This is PR spin. Wake up.
There are three reasons why the UK will never go back to a system of capital punishment 1 Innocent people will be executed through Police error and / or corruption 2 EU law prevents it. 3 As per previous comments capital punishment will not affect the murder rate. This story is about PR for the Tory right. It does bring back the two murdered girls.
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Comments 5 of 12