𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Kemi Badenoch has announced that the UK will leave the European Convention on Human Rights if the Tories win the next general election. A review by former Justice Minister Lord Wolfson found that the ECHR “places significant constraints” on the Government’s ability to address the key issues. These include the removal of illegal immigrants and protecting veterans.

The Tories said that ECHR membership “makes it impossible to control our sovereign borders”.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who will kick off her party’s conference tomorrow (SUN), said: “It is time for Britain to leave the ECHR. I have not come to this decision lightly, but it is clear that it is necessary to protect our borders, our veterans, and our citizens.

“I have always been clear that we should leave the ECHR, if necessary, but unlike other parties we have done the serious work to develop a plan to do so – backed by legal advice from a distinguished King’s Counsel.

“Our country, and our Parliament, must be sovereign. This step will ensure that the next Conservative Government will enact the policies the British people rightly expect: controlling our borders and strengthening our economy.”

The Tory leader’s stance has hardened since last autumn when she said leaving the treaty would not be a “silver bullet” for tackling immigration.

In February, she said the UK would “probably have to leave” if the treaty prevented the government acting in the national interest.

Her announcement last night (FRI) comes as the Tories attempt to halt a loss of support to Reform UK.

Nigel Farage has also said he would take the UK out of the ECHR if Reform win the next election.

Russia and Belarus are the only two other European countries that have opted out of the ECHR.

Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, said: “The ECHR started as a noble endeavour. But over the years the ECHR has been stretched by the courts to the point it is enabling foreign criminals and illegal immigrants stay in the UK.

“I believe protecting our borders is non-negotiable. Yet we found in Government, and Lord Wolfson has now confirmed, that we cannot properly protect our borders in the ECHR.

“The public expects that when they elect a Government to do something, they do it. Anything else undermines democracy, and sadly that is what the ECHR is now doing.”