Justice Minister Jake Richards has been accused of being in a state of “complete and utter denial” after he was recorded saying that anyone who claims leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) will help stop small boats in the Channel is “lying”.
At last week’s Labour conference in Liverpool, Mr Richards, who served as a barrister until entering Parliament in 2024, was heard criticising those who argue the UK should leave the ECHR. He said: “Leaving the ECHR will not help us tackle this small boat crisis one jot, and anyone who says so is lying. And it’s really important we kind of are very strong on that.”
Conservative response
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp hit back, saying: “Labour are in complete and utter denial. As long as we stay shackled to the ECHR, foreign criminals can use the courts to block deportation, meaning we will never be able to deter illegal Channel crossings from happening. Britain needs the power to deport foreign criminals and stop the boats, and only the Conservatives have done the work needed to get us out of the treaties standing in the way.”
Home Office statement
A Home Office spokesperson responded, saying: “We are reforming our human rights laws to prevent them being abused by foreign criminals with no right to be in the UK. This includes domestic legislation to tighten the application of the European Convention on Human Rights in immigration cases, and working with European partners to ensure it remains fit for modern migration challenges.”
