Under current election law people who are deaf and dumb are banned from standing for election.

Bournemouth Council has just gotten itself into trouble for directly quoting a 1766 electoral law which says that “lunatics and idiots” and “deaf and dumb persons” are disqualified from standing for election.  The council has apologised for using non-PC terms.

I wasn’t aware that the law banned deaf and mute people from being councillors but in these “enlightened” times is it right that we should be banning people from becoming councillors because they can’t hear or speak?  You can’t refuse to employ someone because they are deaf and mute unless there is a health and safety reason for doing so.  What about the Human Rights Act?  Would an immigrant be banned from standing if they didn’t speak English or would an interpreter be provided?