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Badenoch confirmed she would announced that the Conservative government under her leadership would withdraw Britain from the European convention on human rights.

The decision marks a lurch to the right for the Conservative party, who are striving 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 withdraw from it if he takes office as prime minister.

Badenoch's Statement

Badenoch said recently that she had “carefully weighed this choice, but it is evident that it is essential to safeguard our borders, our ex-service personnel and our people”.

Arguments Surrounding ECHR Withdrawal

Critics of the ECHR argue it hinders the authorities' attempts to deal with illegal migration and deport foreign criminals.

Others contend that pulling out of the agreement would harm the UK’s international reputation and breach the Belfast Agreement, which ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. Russia and Belarus are the only two European countries that are not signatories.

Review Findings

Badenoch’s decision comes after the conclusion of a extensive study by Lord Wolfson, the opposition legal chief, which determined that the treaty “places significant constraints on the administration” across a variety of fields, including border control.

The commercial barrister deemed other options, such as renegotiating or derogating from the treaty, “not feasible or insufficient”.

He argued that leaving it was compatible with the Good Friday agreement and the Windsor framework agreed under Rishi Sunak to simplify trade after leaving the EU.

Conservative Response

Tory officials commented: “In contrast to Reform UK, who have made hasty pledges with little thought of the implications and no plan to implement them, the Tories have done the serious work to examine the juridical and operational factors necessary to leave the ECHR in an orderly manner.”

Background on the European Convention

The ECHR was created in 1950 and sets out the rights and freedoms individuals can claim in the member states of the European body. It is a central part of Britain's rights legislation and has been invoked to halt attempts to deport individuals who are deemed to be in the UK illegally.

Major Issues

Opponents focused their concerns on Article Three, which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment, and article 8, which safeguards the right to private and family life, saying that they are being expansively applied by the courts and block legitimate deportations.

People and nations can only appeal to the European court of human rights after they have exhausted every domestic route.

Party Contest Context

During the Conservative leadership election last summer, participation in the convention became a key difference between Badenoch and Robert Jenrick. She claimed that leaving the ECHR would not solve the UK’s issues, while her rival said his the Conservatives would “die” if it supported remaining.