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Badenoch confirmed she would announced that a Conservative administration if she becomes prime minister would pull the UK out the European convention on human rights.

This move signals a rightward shift for the Conservative party, who are attempting to halt a erosion of backing to Reform UK led by Nigel Farage. The Reform leader has long been a opponent of the ECHR and has vowed to leave it if he takes office as prime minister.

Badenoch's Announcement

She stated on Friday night that she had “not come to this decision lightly, but it is evident that it is essential to safeguard our borders, our veterans and our citizens”.

Debates Surrounding Leaving the ECHR

Critics of the ECHR argue it frustrates the government’s efforts to address unauthorized immigration and remove foreign criminals.

Others contend that pulling out of the agreement would harm the UK’s international reputation and violate the Belfast Agreement, which ended years of strife in the province. Russia and Belarus are the sole European nations that are not signatories.

Assessment Conclusions

The announcement follows the completion of a months-long review by Lord Wolfson, the shadow attorney general, which determined that the convention “places significant constraints on the government” across a variety of fields, including border control.

Lord Wolfson deemed other alternatives, such as renegotiating or derogating from the agreement, “not feasible or insufficient”.

Wolfson maintained that withdrawal was compatible with the 1998 peace deal and the post-Brexit trade pact negotiated by the former prime minister to simplify post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Party Statement

The Conservative party said: “In contrast to Reform UK, who have made slapdash announcements with no consideration of the implications and no plan to deliver behind them, the Conservatives have done the serious work to examine the juridical and operational factors necessary to withdraw from the convention in an orderly manner.”

Background on the ECHR

This human rights treaty was established in 1950 and defines the rights and freedoms people are entitled to in the member states of the Council of Europe. It is a central part of Britain's rights legislation and has been used to halt attempts to deport individuals who are considered to be in the UK without authorization.

Major Issues

Its critics highlighted problems with article 3, which protects against cruel or humiliating practices, and Article Eight, which safeguards the privacy and family rights, saying that they are being expansively applied by the courts and block lawful removals.

People and nations can only appeal to the Strasbourg court after they have exhausted every domestic route.

Party Election Context

In the Tory leadership race previously, membership of the ECHR became a dividing line between Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. She claimed that leaving the ECHR would not resolve the UK’s issues, while her rival said his party would “perish” if it supported remaining.