Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently modify the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to allow member states to take tougher border control measures and counter the rise of populist right-wing parties. In a joint article with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Starmer argued that updating the interpretation of the convention is essential to address mass migration and prevent far-right forces from dividing mainstream opinion.
Starmer stressed that progressive politics must show it can solve migration issues effectively. 'Listening to legitimate concerns and acting on them is what our politics is about. That’s not empty populism, it’s democracy,' he wrote. The prime minister emphasised that the UK remains committed to the ECHR, rejecting withdrawal as a 'fake solution' that would undermine international agreements on security.
The proposed changes include limiting the scope of Article 8 (right to private and family life) and Article 3 (prohibition of torture and degrading treatment) in immigration cases. Critics, including human rights campaigners and Labour peers, have condemned the move, warning it could weaken protections for vulnerable people and open the door to abandoning torture victims. Actors Michael Palin, Stephen Fry, and Joanna Lumley were among 21 figures urging Starmer to drop the plans.
The Council of Europe summit in Strasbourg will see Justice Secretary David Lammy and Attorney General Richard Hermer represent the UK. Lammy is expected to argue for a reinterpretation of ECHR rights to allow higher thresholds for prison conditions and healthcare access abroad, preventing asylum seekers from using these rights to avoid deportation. The government aims to emulate Denmark’s hardline asylum model, which saw the lowest number of asylum grants in 40 years last year.
