Tory backlash over calls to quit ECHR as hardliners warned there is no majority for leaving

Conservative calls to quit a key European human rights agreement have triggered an internal backlash as the Government maintains its belief that it does not need to leave to tackle the Channel crisis.

Reports that up to eight Cabinet members could back the UK leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) were given short shrift by Government insiders who said Rishi Sunak was focused on delivering his Rwanda deportation plan within the bounds of the agreement.

The renewed calls to quit the convention came after immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, on Wednesday suggested the Government would do “whatever it takes” to get a grip on the small boats crisis, amid suggestions the total number of Channel crossings may have hit 100,000 this week.

One Government source said they would be “very surprised” if the Prime Minister backed leaving the ECHR, as senior Tories warned that doing so would damage the UK’s global reputation and influence.

Downing Street is meanwhile focused on making its Rwanda deal work at the same time as ensuring the UK “abides by its international treaty obligations” and remains party to the ECHR.

John Howell, the Tory MP for Henley, meanwhile said he did not believe there was a majority in the party for leaving the ECHR despite pressure from right-wingers, including the New Conservatives grouping.

“I don’t think any government will move away from the ECHR, I don’t think any government is in a position to do so, I honestly believe that,” Mr Howell told PoliticsHome.

“And in this Parliament, if you look at the Conservative Party, there is no majority at all for pulling out of the ECHR.”

Former Brexit secretary, David Davis, added: “Calls to leave the ECHR are from those who clearly do not understand the basis of the problem.”

The Tory Reform Group of so-called One Nation moderate Conservatives said in a statement: “The calls to leave the ECHR are misplaced by some Conservative MPs and completely the wrong direction for this Government to take.

“The UK’s global reputation would suffer as a direct result, abandoning an agreement we helped establish and values we should champion.”

However, right-wingers renewed calls to leave the ECHR or commit to doing so in the party’s next election manifesto.

Reflecting on the 100,000 arrivals, Tory party deputy chairman, Lee Anderson, said he was “very angry” and that “if things don’t go to plan”, the Government may have to take “drastic measures” and leave the ECHR.

He told GB News he has always been “an advocate of leaving” the ECHR, adding: “You know, we’re a team. If things don’t work, if things don’t go to plan, then we’ve got to take drastic measures, and I would fully support the Government in doing that.”

Former minister Sir John Redwood told TalkTV the Government should not wait for the next national poll to take action, telling TalkTV ministers should introduce “a very short, simple piece of legislation which instructs all British courts to say it is parliament [that] will take these necessary actions to stop the boats, notwithstanding anything that the European court might have in mind”.

“If you did that, the European court ruling on that would disapply without having to get out of the whole thing and cause all that kind of row and you’d get an instant result.

“I don’t know why the Cabinet doesn’t see this and why it doesn’t get on and do it.”