Kemi Badenoch told to make ECHR pledge to end onslaught of migrant crossings
‘You had 14 years!’ Martin Daubney tears into Kemi Badenoch
GB News
Former cabinet minister Steve Barclay has urged Kemi Badenoch to pledge to withdrawing the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if the party returns to power.
Writing in The Telegraph, Barclay, who has held five different Cabinet roles, argued that leaving the ECHR is essential to halt small boat crossings in the English Channel.
The intervention comes as Badenoch has thus far only promised to review the policy as part of a wider examination of Tory immigration strategy.
Badenoch had previously criticised leadership rival Robert Jenrick for promising ECHR withdrawal, stating deeper consideration was needed.
Barclay argued that leaving the ECHR is essential to halt small boat crossings in the English Channel
PAHowever, her position has evolved since winning the leadership. In November, she launched a broader review of immigration policy that explicitly included examining the party's stance on ECHR membership.
The review, which has no set deadline, represents a softening of her earlier position and leaves the door open for potential withdrawal.
In his Telegraph article, Barclay emphasised that current legislation remains insufficient to address the migration challenge.
"Secure borders will not be delivered while porous legislation remains. Until the law is watertight in stopping the army of human rights lawyers, it will not stop the flotilla of small boats," he wrote.
MORE LIKE THIS:
- 'That's no deterrent!' Badenoch blasts Farage after Reform UK 'regrettably' opens door to 'Isis bride' Shamima Begum's UK return
- ‘You’re ashamed!’ Watch moment blistering row kicks off as guests lock horns over grooming gangs
- Badenoch's amendment was extraordinarily smart and could have saved our children from Labour's mindless destruction of their education - Miriam Cates
He urged Badenoch not to repeat her predecessors' hesitation, stating: "Now is the time to commit to the fundamental change needed. We must leave the ECHR."
Latest figures show 36,816 asylum-seekers arrived in the UK on small boats last year, marking a 25 per cent increase from 2023 but remaining below the 2022 record.
The debate over ECHR's impact on border control has intensified among Conservative circles.
Supporters of withdrawal argue asylum-seekers frequently misuse the convention's human rights protections to avoid detention despite having invalid claims.
The debate over ECHR's impact on border control has intensified among Conservative circles
PACritics warn that abandoning the ECHR would put Britain in the same category as Russia and weaken crucial human rights safeguards.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has defended the party's measured approach to policy development under Badenoch's leadership.
Speaking to the BBC, Stride said: "There will not be a general election for probably another four, four-and-a-half years. We have absolutely got to regain the trust on a number of areas."
He expressed confidence in Badenoch's leadership, adding: "These things take time. We need to re-earn that respect from the electorate and that's what we'll be doing over the coming months and years."
You may like
