Sir Keir Starmer has branded anyone proposing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights as “not serious” after Nigel Farage unveiled Reform UK’s controversial plans to withdraw from the treaty and renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement. The Prime Minister’s intervention highlights deep divisions over human rights legislation that underpins Northern Ireland’s peace settlement.
The Reform UK leader announced at a press conference on Tuesday that his first act as Prime Minister would be to remove Britain from the ECHR, claiming “three quarters of the country would cheer to the rafters.” His party’s “Operation Restoring Justice” includes scrapping the Human Rights Act and replacing it with a British Bill of Rights applying only to British citizens and legal residents.
However, the proposals have sparked fierce criticism from the government, which warns that leaving the ECHR would require dismantling key provisions of the Good Friday Agreement – the 1998 peace accord that ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Good Friday Agreement at Risk
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman delivered a stark rebuke: “The ECHR underpins key international agreements, trade, security and migration and the Good Friday Agreement. Anyone who is proposing to renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement is not serious.”
The spokesman added: “We’re focused on the very serious policies to address this issue rather than a return to the gimmicks, the slogans, the chaos of the previous government.
The Good Friday Agreement explicitly requires the British government to incorporate the ECHR into Northern Ireland law, with direct access to courts and remedies for breaches. Legal experts warn that withdrawing from the convention would violate this international treaty signed with Ireland.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook described Reform’s plans as “unworkable gimmicks,” stating: [The ECHR] underpins a series of incredibly important agreements, including the Good Friday agreement. We want to reform it in conjunction with European partners, not by withdrawing from it unilaterally or suspending it.”
Russia and Belarus Comparison
The minister pointedly noted that withdrawal “would put us in a club with Russia and Belarus” – the only European nations not party to the convention. Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine, whilst Belarus has never been a member due to human rights concerns.
Mr Farage dismissed concerns about the Good Friday Agreement, suggesting it could be “renegotiated” to remove ECHR references. He outlined plans for mass deportations of up to 600,000 asylum seekers, with migrants offered £2,500 to board deportation flights to countries including Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iran.
When asked about asylum seekers potentially facing torture or death if returned, the Reform leader responded: “The alternative is to do nothing… We cannot be responsible for all the sins that take place around the world.”
Constitutional Crisis Warning
Legal experts have warned that any attempt to leave the ECHR would trigger a constitutional crisis. Professor David Allen Green described the Good Friday Agreement as “a core constitutional text of the UK… of more everyday importance than hallowed instruments such as Magna Carta of 1215 or the 1689 Bill of Rights.”
The ECHR is not merely mentioned in passing but is integral to Northern Ireland’s devolution settlement. The Agreement requires that neither the Northern Ireland Assembly nor public bodies can infringe convention rights, with legislation subject to being struck down if incompatible.
Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, warned that altering human rights protections could have a “potential impact on the delicate peace process.
Cross-Party Condemnation
Liberal Democrat spokesperson Daisy Cooper condemned the proposals: “Of course Nigel Farage wants to follow his idol Vladimir Putin in ripping up the human rights convention. Winston Churchill would be turning in his grave.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch acknowledged her party would announce its own ECHR position at conference but cautioned: “Saying you’re going to leave the ECHR is not a plan. It will have an impact on things like the Good Friday Agreement and needs to be done in a way that does not destabilise the country or economy.
Immigration Context
Reform’s announcement comes amid rising Channel crossings, with almost 29,000 people arriving by boat so far in 2025 – up 50 per cent from the same period last year. On Monday alone, 659 migrants arrived in the UK by boat, whilst over 111,000 applied for asylum in the year to June.
Mr Farage claimed Britain faces “a genuine threat to public order” without action, describing illegal immigration as an “invasion.” His party plans to create a “UK Deportation Command” enforcement unit and scale up detention facilities.
Wider Implications
Withdrawal from the ECHR would have far-reaching consequences beyond Northern Ireland. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement explicitly commits both parties to the convention, particularly for security and judicial cooperation. The EU has indicated it would terminate extradition arrangements if Britain withdrew.
Campaign group Best for Britain warned against trusting Mr Farage to rewrite fundamental rights. Chief executive Naomi Smith said: “Stoking fears over immigration as a way to remove our most basic rights is right out of the authoritarian playbook.
She added: “Rights to fair trial, free elections and freedom of expression are all protected by the Human Rights Act and ECHR, and are not something we can trust Nigel Farage to rewrite.
The government maintains that rather than leaving the convention, reforms should be pursued through international cooperation with European partners to address legitimate concerns whilst maintaining human rights protections and international obligations.
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