Conservative MPs are intensifying calls for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), with reports suggesting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering the move to enable a tougher stance on migration. The proposal, backed by several ministers including Home Secretary Suella Braverman, could feature in the next Tory manifesto if not enacted before the general election.
The push follows frustrations over the ECHR's intervention in the Rwanda asylum policy, which saw the first deportation flight halted in June last year. Leaked messages from a Tory MP WhatsApp group revealed concerns among 'red wall' MPs that without leaving the convention, the government's promised legislation to curb illegal crossings would be ineffective.
Former cabinet minister Simon Clarke argued withdrawal is 'completely right', stating that the ECHR is being 'abused by criminals to endanger the lives of desperate people'. He dismissed claims that leaving would embolden adversaries, saying Putin would not be influenced by the UK's membership.
However, the proposal faces internal opposition. Sir Bob Neill, Tory chair of the Commons justice committee, warned against abandoning the rule of law, asking if the party would 'put ourselves in the same company as Russia and Belarus'. Other potential dissenters include development minister Andrew Mitchell and former justice secretary Robert Buckland.
Sunak is reportedly preparing new legislation to ban irregular migrants from claiming asylum and expedite deportations, but the ECHR exit would only be considered if courts strike down that bill. Sources acknowledged the move is unlikely before the next election, and any decision without an electoral mandate could face challenges in the House of Lords.
