The interminable, and largely bogus, debate about our continued commitment to the Convention normally concerns its abuse by migrants. This week, the Prime Minister announced that the interpretation by judges of the ECHR undermined the government’s attempts to deport illegal immigrants. He specifically mentioned Article 3 (the prohibition of torture) and Article 8 (the right to privacy and family life). He nevertheless defended the UK’s membership of the Convention, saying that ministers ‘need to look again at the interpretation of some of these provisions, not tear them down’. Really? Rip van Starmer may have suddenly discovered that there are problems with the ECHR following the rise of Reform, but he is irrational to think that it can be fixed by tweaking its interpretations.

You do no

See Full Page