Kemi Badenoch has justified the UK’s potential withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by highlighting non-European countries.
The Conservative party leader made the announcement ahead of their conference, stating that if they were to win the next election, the UK would exit the international treaty as part of efforts to manage immigration. This decision sparked strong reactions. Badenoch defended the move, citing the need to safeguard borders, veterans, and citizens.
During an interview on the BBC’s program with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch was questioned about aligning with Russia and Belarus in leaving the ECHR. In response, she pointed out several countries that were not signatories to the convention, emphasizing that human rights did not solely depend on ECHR membership.
Badenoch noted that countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada were not part of the agreement, underscoring that human rights predated the ECHR and the Human Rights Act.
The ECHR guarantees fundamental rights such as the right to life, liberty, fair trial, privacy, freedom of expression and assembly, and freedom of religion. It also prohibits torture, slavery, and discrimination.
A source from the Labour party ridiculed Badenoch’s remarks, referencing a recent Brexit-related mistake she made on TV. The source criticized her lack of knowledge in European affairs beyond Northern Ireland.
The proposed policy forms part of a “borders plan,” which includes tightening immigration rules akin to Donald Trump’s approach, supported by a new enforcement model inspired by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The Conservative party aims to deport around 750,000 individuals over the next Parliament, surpassing Reform UK’s plan for mass deportation outlined earlier.
Badenoch threatened that any Conservative member not supporting the ECHR exit would be disqualified from standing as a candidate in the upcoming general election, as mentioned in an interview on GB News.
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