Liberty and mendacity

Liberty and mendacity

The Tory position on human rights just doesn't add up. It puts Britain's reputation at risk

Human rights are at risk in the forthcoming election. Labour will not retreat from or reduce the rights made part of ­domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998. The Conservative website, ­however, carries a pledge to "replace the Human Rights Act, which has undermined the government's ability to deal with crime and terrorism, with a British bill of rights".



I recall on the day that the UK lost its appeal to the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR in the Prisoners Votes Case, Hirst v UK(No2), and Charles Falconer rushed into the BBC World At One studio to announce what the judgment did not say when he had not read it to see what it did say!

As the then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, Charles Falconer, was responsible for ensuring all citizens (including convicted prisoners) had their human rights protected.

Charles Falconer made the decision to ignore the UK's obligations to abide by the European Convention and the Court's judgment. That is, he and Labour acted against human rights supposedly guaranteed under the HRA 1998.

Subsequently, Jack Straw as Minister for Justice followed in Charles Falconer's footsteps. He too has so far failed to put a Bill before Parliament to legislate to allow 63,000 peope the vote. This is a threat to our so-called democracy.

Whilst both the Tories and LibDems can be criticised for not condemning Labour for its continued human rights violation, it is hypocritical for Charles Falconer to accuse others for putting Britain's reputation at risk and human rights at risk in the forthcoming election when this is precisely what he has done himself with his own unlawful conduct.