UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Amnesty International survey finds 48% of Britons back staying in the ECHR, while 26% want to quit, amid rising political debate on human rights.
As reported by The Independent, a new survey suggests nearly half of Britons favour staying in the ECHR, while only a quarter believe the UK should leave the treaty.
What did Amnesty International’s survey reveal about Britons’ support for the ECHR?
A Savanta poll for Amnesty International of 2,099 Britons shows a majority support remaining in the ECHR on its 75th anniversary.
The survey comes amid political debate over the ECHR, with Conservatives and Reform UK calling for Britain to leave.
According to a poll seen by PA, 48% of respondents want to stay in the ECHR, while 26% support leaving the international treaty.
A further 552 respondents, or 26%, were unsure and answered “don’t know” about the ECHR.
The poll showed 78% of respondents, or 1,636 people, back protecting rights permanently, rather than leaving them to government discretion.
According to the recent survey, 73% of likely Labour voters (266 of 365) want the UK to remain in the ECHR, while just 12% (44) support leaving.
The poll shows 111 of 256 likely Conservative voters (43%) support staying in the treaty, while 93 (36%) favour leaving and 52 (20%) are unsure.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK supporters are more inclined to leave the ECHR, with 265 of 438 backing withdrawal and 106 favouring remaining.
Amnesty International UK’s human rights legal protections campaign manager, Tom Morrison, stated,
“The polling could not be clearer: people value their rights and they do not trust politicians to mark their own homework.”
He said,
“Seventy-five years ago, in the aftermath of war and atrocity, a generation resolved that ‘Never Again’ must mean something real.”
Mr Morrison added,
“Human rights were not designed for fair weather. They were built for the storms, for the moments of populism, institutional failure and authoritarian creep. Exactly the sort of challenges we face today.”
What did the YouGov survey show about Britons’ views on leaving the ECHR?
A YouGov poll shows most Britons oppose leaving the ECHR, with 46% backing remaining, 29% supporting withdrawal, and 24% undecided.
The poll shows nearly three-quarters (72%) of Reform UK supporters favour withdrawal, compared with 44% of Conservative voters, though it remains the largest share.
The poll reveals strong support for staying in the Convention among Labour (82%), Lib Dem (76%), and Green (85%) supporters.
What did Naomi Smith say about the risks of leaving the ECHR?
Naomi Smith, CEO of the campaign group Best for Britain, stated,
“The public have seen the harm leaving European institutions has done to Britain and they recognise calls to leave the ECHR are just asking for even more damage: to all our rights, our freedoms, and our international reputation.”
He added,
“We must not allow Reform UK and the Tories’ misleading attempts to demonise human rights protections to gain media traction when, in truth, the public strongly wants to maintain the high standards which keep us all safer.”
What did the Government and parties say about Britain leaving the ECHR?
The government has ruled out leaving the European treaty but is reviewing human rights law to make it easier to deport those with no right to remain in the UK.
Multiple deportation attempts have been halted because of the UK’s interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR, which protects the right to private and family life.
Officials are reviewing Article 3, which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, in immigration and extradition cases.
The Conservative Party has pledged to leave the ECHR if elected, stating that “lawfare,” including lawyers using the treaty to block deportations, has undermined efforts to secure borders.
Reform UK intends to leave the ECHR as part of its plans to reform immigration.
Party leader Nigel Farage’s bid to introduce legislation for the UK to leave the ECHR, which he called “unfinished business” of Brexit, was halted by MPs.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey opposed the plan, saying the ECHR protects “the very people who need it most.”
Critics warn quitting the ECHR could undermine the Good Friday Agreement, signed to end the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and strip UK citizens of fundamental rights.
How does the ECHR safeguard human rights across Europe?
The ECHR was established in 1959 to ensure observance of the European Convention on Human Rights by the members of the Council of Europe. Its purpose is to hear cases alleging human rights violations and ensure states comply with the Convention.
The council has 46 member countries, though as of June 2023, 43 are listed as members. The only other nation to exit the ECHR was Russia, removed in 2022 after invading Ukraine.
