Labour MPs Push Starmer to Rein in ECHR Powers in UK Courts

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Labour MPs are urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to implement stricter immigration controls by curbing the influence of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in British courts. Red Wall backbenchers are pressing for reforms that would prevent human rights laws from obstructing the deportation of failed asylum seekers and foreign criminals.

 

Their calls for action coincide with a review led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, following a series of controversial tribunal rulings that have prevented deportations. Many of these cases have relied on Article 8 of the ECHR, which guarantees the "right to respect for family life." Critics argue that judges are interpreting this clause too broadly, allowing individuals with criminal records to remain in the UK under dubious circumstances.

 

One such case involved an Albanian criminal who was permitted to stay because a tribunal ruled that his son refused to eat foreign chicken nuggets. In another instance, a Nigerian fraudster who swindled women out of nearly £200,000 avoided deportation on the basis that his wife and children were receiving treatment from the NHS. These rulings have sparked concerns that the courts are stretching the application of human rights laws to an unreasonable extent, undermining the government’s ability to enforce deportation orders.

 

Labour MPs are now supporting calls for the government to issue new guidance restricting how Article 8 is applied in immigration cases. Jonathan Brash, MP for Hartlepool, stressed the need for tighter controls. "It’s a perfectly in-order thing to do and to me it’s the right thing to do. They should be looking at all avenues," he told The Telegraph. "The asylum system is broken, immigration is far, far too high and they’re right to look at all the options to get the level of control we want."

 

Brash emphasized that voters expect their government to have full control over immigration and asylum policies. "The British people want the government they’ve elected to be able to decide asylum policy and for that policy to be enacted," he said. He also noted that "a huge number of Labour MPs" are determined to deliver on voter demands for stricter immigration and asylum measures. "It’s not an extreme view to say that we’d like good border control and sensible, proportionate levels of immigration," he argued. "Anyone who thinks that’s an extreme view frankly is out of touch with what the British people want right now."

 

Although Brash clarified that he does not support leaving the ECHR altogether, he believes the UK should tighten its interpretation of human rights laws, as other European countries, such as Denmark, have done. His remarks reflect a growing movement within the Labour Party to reconsider how the ECHR is applied in immigration cases, with many MPs backing reforms to ensure that UK courts prioritize national interests over expansive human rights interpretations.

 

As pressure mounts within Labour ranks, the government faces a crucial decision on whether to reshape how British courts interpret international human rights laws, particularly in cases that affect the country’s immigration and asylum policies.

 

Based on a report by The Telegraph  2025-03-29

 

 

[JonnyF]

Never happen.

 

He's a human rights lawyer and a bleeding heart Liberal. 

[Watawattana]

One of the ECHR things is the right to a family life.  No issues with that, but illegals can have that back in their home country, unless they have a valid asylum claim.

[Thingamabob]

5 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Never happen.

 

He's a human rights lawyer and a bleeding heart Liberal. 

He's a Marxist.

 

[Purdey]

Destroying human rights is a long and slippery road to hell. Certainly exit illegal immigrants but do it within the law. 

[Red Forever]

Mention ECHR and the gammon become redder and madder. Add the words illegal and small boats and their heads explode. See above.

This is just the beginning of the erosion of our human rights and with Western leaders moving further to the right I see no change in this direction in the near future.