Labour Figures Urge Decoupling of British Laws from Human Rights Convention

Strategic Insights -

Former Labour home secretary Jack Straw has advocated for decoupling British laws from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to enable more migrants to be deported, citing the misuse of the Human Rights Act by courts to prevent the government from deporting illegal migrants and foreign criminals. Straw's proposal comes as Labour's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is drawing up plans to re-write laws to limit the scope for judges to use articles three and eight of the ECHR, which protect the rights to a family life and against persecution. This move is also echoed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who is expected to commit to leaving the ECHR at her autumn conference.

Straw's comments build on a recent call by Labour MP David Blunkett, who urged Sir Keir Starmer to suspend the ECHR in order to deport thousands of rejected asylum seekers. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has committed Reform UK to leaving the ECHR, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's administration has stated that suspending the ECHR is not an option they are considering.

Straw believes that the Human Rights Act was never intended to follow the ECHR as closely as it does, and that the instruction to "take account" of ECHR judgments has been misinterpreted by courts. He suggests that the Act could be amended to state that British courts do not have to take account of the ECHR, rather than withdrawing from the ECHR entirely.

Key Takeaways:

  • Former Labour home secretary Jack Straw has called for decoupling British laws from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to enable more migrants to be deported.
  • Straw claims that the Human Rights Act is being misused by courts to prevent the government from deporting illegal migrants and foreign criminals.
  • Labour's Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is drawing up plans to re-write laws to limit the scope for judges to use articles three and eight of the ECHR.
  • Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is expected to commit to leaving the ECHR at her autumn conference.
  • David Blunkett has urged Sir Keir Starmer to suspend the ECHR to deport rejected asylum seekers.
  • Nigel Farage has committed Reform UK to leaving the ECHR.

Statistics:

  • Over 32,000 asylum seekers are currently being housed in hotels.
  • The UK government is using approximately 200 hotels to house asylum seekers.
  • More than 200 lorries were smuggling people into the UK during the Sangatte migrant camp in the late 1990s.
  • The Human Rights Act was drafted in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
  • The Sangatte migrant camp on the north French coast housed over 1,000 migrants at its peak.

Sources:

  • Financial Times: "Former Labour home secretary Jack Straw calls for decoupling of British laws from ECHR"
  • The Telegraph: "Labour's Yvette Cooper draws up plans to limit judges' power to block deportations"
  • BBC News: "Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to commit to leaving ECHR at autumn conference"
  • The Guardian: "David Blunkett urges Sir Keir Starmer to suspend ECHR to deport asylum seekers"