Kemi Badenoch has justified the UK’s potential withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by pointing out that several non-European countries are not part of the agreement. The Conservative leader made this announcement ahead of the Conservative party conference, stating that if they were to win the upcoming election, they would pull the UK out of the treaty to manage immigration, sparking strong reactions. Badenoch defended this move by emphasizing the need to safeguard borders, veterans, and citizens.

During an appearance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch was questioned about aligning the UK with Russia and Belarus in exiting the ECHR. In response, she highlighted countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada that are not signatories to the convention, emphasizing that human rights are not exclusive to being part of the ECHR.

The ECHR guarantees fundamental rights such as life, liberty, a fair trial, privacy, freedom of expression, assembly, religion, and prohibits torture, slavery, and discrimination. A Labour source criticized Badenoch’s remarks, referencing a recent Brexit-related error she made during a TV interview regarding Northern Ireland.

Badenoch’s proposed policy is part of a broader “borders plan” that includes a stringent immigration crackdown inspired by Donald Trump’s approach, featuring a new “removals force” modeled after the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. The Conservative party aims to deport 750,000 individuals during the next Parliament, surpassing the 600,000 target set by Reform UK earlier in the year.