# Capital Punishment in the UK

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 24, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305 "2001-03-24T13:19:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305/21 "2001-03-28T10:19:35Z")

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> [@](#):
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> We’re going to have a referendum on the Euro early in the life of the next parliament the result of which I suspect is going to be seen in a wider context.

I don’t think even the smiling Mr Blair thinks this is true anymore, unless some _major_ economic catastrophe occurs which the population can be made to believe originated solely in our decision to not join the euro.

On to the central question, I was once asked in a survey about whether I thought “Capital punishment should be brought back for violent crimes against the person?”. I don’t know who the survey was for, but I think it is an example, as L\_C said, of these surveys often being loaded, or at least less than scrupulously impartial in the way the question is asked.

We’re broaching a few issues here, but I did wonder how completely anonymous voting (no whips) would alter things in the commons. I think Blair would be screwed…and how would they know who to promote? Presumably, ministers like that nice but dim Mr Brown can only have got where they are through loyalty.

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**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305/22 "2001-03-28T10:25:41Z")

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> [@](#):
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> \*Originally posted by JCHeckler \*  
> \*\*Is signing onto the Human Rights agreement a prerequsite to EU membership? I was going to do a post on this, as I was wondering how Turkey can be considered for EU membership when they’re still executing criminals and so on. \*\*

Thats sort of what I ment. Countries looking to join the EU are being asked by the EU to sign up to this thing. Russia had a problem with this. I think they want to sign up but the EU is frowning on their execution/proposed execution of a major serial killer.

> [@](#):
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> I think that you’ll find it in the part of the British Constitution labeled ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

Now I 've had time to think about it I saw this on a game show :o  
Damn you Bob Monkhouse you lied to me.

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**Author:** ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305/23 "2001-03-28T10:32:00Z")

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> [@](#):
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> I don’t think even the smiling Mr Blair thinks this is true anymore, unless some major economic catastrophe occurs which the population can be made to believe originated solely in our decision to not join the euro.

I can see this going off-topic pretty quickly. The problem is, he’s on record as saying that he **will** hold one _early in the life of the next parliament_. Now, everyone knows that he’ll only want to hold one when the outcome is favourable to what he wants (and in some ways I don’t blame him; he a politician, that’s what politicians do - I’d be a bit worried if he _didn’t_) but he’s on record, and it’s not something that people who don’t want the euro are going to let him forget about.

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**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305/24 "2001-03-28T10:50:58Z")

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[Tony Blair]Of _course_ we _expected_ to have a referendum early in this parliament, given that we assumed that the 5 economic criteria would have been fulfilled. As it transpires, our own growth under the New Labour government has far outstripped that of continental europe, and as such our economy has diverged slightly from that of our european partners. Application of the 5 economic tests which the chancellor has set out show that it would not be prudent to join the euro at this time. We will have a referendum on the single currency when the conditions show that it would be in the British interest to join. If the right honourable member opposite cannot see that, I think he ought to go back to school!!![/Tony Blair]

Easy;)

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**Author:** ![Xerxes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d2c977/32.png) [@Xerxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xerxes)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capital-punishment-in-the-uk/59305/25 "2001-03-28T11:04:10Z")

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On the nose, I’m afraid. ☹

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