Still Want To Leave

Will the Tories listen to voters and ditch the ECHR?

Hello and welcome to another edition of Heaver News!

It is great to welcome so many new subscribers including my newest paid supporters Diane, Wendy and Rom!

As ever if you appreciate my newsletter do consider becoming a paid supporter. Cheers!

---

ECHR Exit

It was back in April 2022 that the then Home Secretary Priti Patel revealed the Government’s Rwanda plan.

The purpose was for the policy to act as a deterrent for the tens of thousands of people crossing from France to England on small boats. Except the policy still hasn't been implemented.

Priti Patel MP @pritipatel

🇬🇧🤝🇷🇼 Working together, our new partnership will help make the immigration system fairer, ensuring people are safe and have new opportunities to flourish. All the details: gov.uk/government/new… #NewPlanForImmigration

The British Government’s plan was blocked after an intervention by the ECHR. A foreign judge in a European Court intervened and so the policy still hasn’t started. A bizarre and totally unacceptable situation.

Of course what we ended up seeing last year was various Government figures talking tough on stopping the boats. But such chat did absolutely nothing and a record 45,728 people crossed in 2022 alone. The crossings have already started in 2023 as well.

Sky News @SkyNews

A record 45,728 made the crossing across the Channel on small boats last year, up more than 60% on the previous year.

trib.alAround 500 migrants crossed Channel to UK yesterdayGroups of people wearing life jackets and some wrapped in blankets were pictured being brought into Dover, Kent, on a Border Force boat, as MPs heard flights sending migrants to Rwanda may not take place until later this year at the earliest amid ongoing legal action.

The now Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has publicly spoken out about the need to Leave ECHR. But despite this, bizarrely, the Government’s approach still hasn’t gone anywhere near this. What are they waiting for?

Suella Braverman MP @SuellaBraverman

I'm the only candidate who can stop the small boats crossing the channel because I'm the only one who knows we need to leave the ECHR. The British people won't forgive us unless we address this issue. #Suella4Leader Suella4Leader.com

This is a critical issue. Voters are frustrated and disgusted at the lack of urgent action taken to stop the boats. Endless speeches about the subject have been followed by even bigger numbers crossing.

Unsurprisingly support for Reform UK has been rising, with the party making clear they believe in leaving ECHR.

If the Tories want to win back Brexiteer support, how much longer are they going to wait before they advocate the approach championed by Reform and Braverman?

A new poll conducted this month by People Polling reveals big support for leaving the ECHR from voters. More Brits (38%) now support leaving than remaining (32%).

Will Rishi Sunak listen to Conservative voters on this? Just 8% of Tory supporters are against ditching ECHR with a massive 68% in favour of leaving.

Matt Goodwin @GoodwinMJ

"The UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights so it can better control who comes in & out of the country" All voters support 38% oppose 32% dont know 30% Labour voters support 15% oppose 66% Conservative voters support 68% oppose 8% People Polling / GBN Feb 1

More tough talk isn’t going to change anything. Will Rishi Sunak finally listen to the British public, his own voters and his own Home Secretary and leave ECHR to stop the boats?