Kemi Badenoch has come forward to justify the UK’s potential withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by highlighting nations outside of Europe that are not part of the agreement.
During the lead-up to the Conservative party conference, the Tory leader made it known that if they were to secure victory in the upcoming election, the UK would exit the international treaty to manage immigration, sparking heated reactions. In defense of this stance, Badenoch emphasized the necessity of safeguarding the nation’s borders, military veterans, and citizens.
In an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday program with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch was questioned on whether she supported aligning the UK with Russia and Belarus in departing from the European Convention on Human Rights. In response, she pointed out several non-European countries that were not party to the convention, such as the United States, Australia, and Canada, suggesting that human rights are not contingent on membership in the ECHR.
Badenoch explained that human rights have existed independently of the ECHR and the Human Rights Act, underscoring the fundamental nature of rights such as life, liberty, fair trial, privacy, freedom of expression and religion, and the prohibition of torture, slavery, and discrimination that are upheld by the ECHR.
Critics from the Labour party ridiculed Badenoch’s remarks, referencing a recent Brexit-related error she made during a television interview where she incorrectly stated that Northern Ireland voted to leave the EU. The Labour source criticized Badenoch’s apparent lack of knowledge in European matters, suggesting a broader gap in understanding.
The proposed policy forms part of a broader “borders plan” that includes measures akin to a Donald Trump-style immigration crackdown, 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 parliamentary term, exceeding the 600,000 deportation target set by Reform UK’s plan for “mass deportation” announced earlier in the year.