CRIMINALS serving short sentences should be allowed to vote in the independence referendum, according to the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

The party, led by Willie Rennie, is proposing that prisoners serving a sentence of less than four years should be part of the franchise for next year's vote.

In March, the SNP Government introduced the Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill to Holyrood, legislation that will determine who gets a vote in the plebiscite. As things stand, those who will be aged 16 and over on the date of the referendum and resident north of the Border will be entitled to vote.

The bill bars prisoners from voting in the poll, a restriction that is also in place for elections across the UK.

However, LibDem justice spokesman Alison McInnes believes some prisoners should be allowed to participate: "The outcome of the referendum on independence will have irrevocable and far-reaching consequences for every person in Scotland.

"A general election chooses the government for the next five years. This referendum could change the entire country for the next 500 years and beyond. I believe that we must give serious consideration to allowing prisoners the chance to have a say in that decision.

"The primary aim of prison is rehabilitation, but if we are serious about that and about reducing reoffending, then we have to ensure that prisoners are more engaged with society."

Her plan would give 3500 or so short-term prisoners a vote.

"There is a great deal of support for the view that a short-term custodial sentence is not a strong enough justification to remove a person's right to vote," she added. "Too many people are sent to prison for short periods of time when other alternatives, such as community justice measures, would be more effective."

The proposal is supported by the Howard League for Penal Reform in Scotland, which said in a recent Holyrood submission: "At a minimum, the practicalities of extending the vote to those on short-term sentences, which are defined in law as being less than four years, should be tested with the organisations involved and it should not simply be assumed that it would be unachievable."

However, the proposal has little chance of being accepted.

Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: "The whole point of sending offenders to jail is for them to lose their liberty and all the other privileges which come with being free, particularly the right to vote. This ill-thought out suggestion from the LibDems is an insult to victims and democracy.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government does not agree that convicted prisoners should be able to vote while they are in jail, and that applies to the referendum."