Labour minister calls claims about ECHR exit stopping small boats a lie

During Labour’s conference in Liverpool, Justice Minister Jake Richards, who entered Parliament in 2024 after a career as a barrister, attacked the notion that abandoning the European Convention on Human Rights would address the ongoing small-boat arrivals in the Channel, calling proponents of the idea liars. He stressed the importance of a firm approach to the crisis. In response, Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused Labour of being in "complete and utter denial" and warned that the UK’s continued adherence to the convention allows foreign criminals to use the courts to block deportations.

Philp argued that this legal barrier prevents effective deterrence of illegal crossings and asserted that only the Conservative government has pursued the necessary steps to exit the treaty. The exchange highlights a partisan clash over immigration policy and the role of human-rights obligations in the UK’s border strategy.