Today the Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, introduced the Government’s proposals for a new UK Bill of Rights, a key part of the Government’s 2019 manifesto. The Deputy PM came to Parliament earlier today to set out how he intends to deliver human rights reforms across the country.
During his statement, I had the opportunity to raise both the experiences of one of my constituents, along with my own recent visit to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), to highlight the importance of adhering to our long-standing commitments to human rights. While in Strasbourg, I listened with interest to the UK judge at the ECHR that the UK continues to have the have the lowest number of cases per capita referred to this court and the lowest number of cases per capita to go against it of any country that is a member of the convention. Knowing that people across Europe can often rely upon the ECHR as a last resort, I am mindful that we must ensure that we continue to live up to our commitments in the convention to ensure the mutual protection of UK citizens across the continent.
With this in mind, I asked the Deputy PM whether this new Bill of Rights will ensure that any changes made will mean that the UK continues to uphold the highest possible standards of human rights and to ensure that the UK remains an example to other member states in this field.
I was glad to hear reassurances in his answer that the Deputy PM recognises the importance of the UK’s record and the example we set to many of our European friends while ensuring that the House of Commons will continue to have the final word on issues of national importance.
