Hilary Benn brands Nigel Farage's ECHR proposals 'reckless' - saying they would 'undermine' Belfast Agreement
Plans by Nigel Farage to pull the United Kingdom out of the European Convention on Human Rights have been been branded “reckless” by the Northern Ireland secretary in a speech to the Labour Party conference.
Hilary Benn has accused the Reform leader of wanting to “undermine the Good Friday Agreement” by the move – branding it irresponsible and wrong.
The comments have been welcomed by the SDLP and Alliance – but the DUP and TUV have contrasted his concern for the 1998 deal with the Labour government’s handling of issues related to the Irish Sea border.
The Ulster Unionist Party says any move to leave the ECHR would be “radical, destabilising and potentially provoke unintended consequences” – branding Mr Farage’s “English nationalism” as a “real and present danger to the Union”.
In August, the Reform UK leader said that his party would quit the convention to deal with illegal immigration – but that it would take “longer” in Northern Ireland. Last month, Baroness Foster branded comments by Suella Braverman “ill-judged and unnecessary” – after the Tory MP said a border poll could be called if necessary to get her aim of ECHR withdrawal through.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Hilary Benn said that the “Good Friday Agreement enabled Northern Ireland to move away from the bloody and brutal trauma of the Troubles, towards peace and progress”.
Mr Benn continued: “It was, without doubt, the greatest achievement of the last Labour government. It took courage. It took patient negotiation, and yet, what does Nigel Farage want to do?
“He actually wants to undermine the Good Friday Agreement by walking away from the European Convention on Human Rights. And after all that the people of Northern Ireland have been through, I cannot think of anything more irresponsible – it’s wrong, it’s reckless, and we’ve got to make sure it never, ever happens.”
Reacting to his comments, DUP MLA David Brooks said that whilst there is a debate to be had about the ECHR, what matters is a UK-wide solution to illegal immigration.
“Anything that treats Northern Ireland differently is not a solution at all and would undermine the integrity of the United Kingdom, whilst also making Northern Ireland a magnet for illegal immigration.
“However if Hilary Benn wants to talk about what is wrong and reckless, he should start by pressing his Government to deliver on commitments to fully restore Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.”
A spokesperson for the Ulster Unionist Party said: “The sort of English nationalism represented by Nigel Farage is a real and present danger to the Union. He has shown disregard and a lack of knowledge that should be of the utmost concern to unionists.
“As for the European Convention, it is how it has been interpreted and applied by the courts that has given the Ulster Unionist Party the greatest pause. That said, we do not support such a significant constitutional change as withdrawing from the ECHR without due consideration of the implications. Like Brexit, such a move would be radical, destabilising and potentially provoke unintended consequences.”
However, the TUV rejected the notion that such a move would “undermine” the Belfast Agreement.
A spokesperson said: “That is simply not the case. The Belfast Agreement does not require the UK or the Republic of Ireland to remain members of the ECHR. References to the Convention in the Agreement relate solely to Northern Ireland’s domestic law and the limits on devolved powers. They do not create an international obligation or give individuals the right to petition Strasbourg.
“Recent analysis, including a Policy Exchange report, makes this clear: leaving the ECHR would not breach or weaken the Agreement. The UK retains full sovereign authority to withdraw while continuing to protect rights through domestic law”.
The TUV also called for “honesty” from the Secretary of State regarding his own commitment to the Belfast Agreement – pointing to the government overriding unionist opposition to press ahead with the Windsor Framework.
Alliance MLA Eóin Tennyson MLA welcomed Mr Benn’s comments. He told the News Letter: “The European Convention on Human Rights is a bedrock of the Good Friday Agreement. Any move to roll back these vital human rights protections would be a sinister development, breaching an international treaty and effectively ripping up the Good Friday Agreement.
“Farage’s proposals are not just impractical and unserious but also lay bare his reckless disregard for the people of Northern Ireland. This ought to serve as a wake-up call to those local parties who trade in Reform’s populist, right-wing rhetoric”.