Bill Cash Calls on Conservative Party to back John Reid

The European Foundation issued the following statement on 25th May, supporting the Home Secretary's comments on national security:

The Home Secretary’s remarks on national security – which have made it clear that British government needs to reinterpret parts of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – are a significant step towards redressing the current failures of human rights in meeting the needs of national security. The incorporation of ECHR into UK law via the Human Rights Act of 1998 is a major obstacle to public security. We need to opt out of ECHR. The Human Rights Act of 1998 needs to be repealed.

Reid’s efforts are a step in the right direction but Britain needs to put public security and suppression of terrorism at the heart of its policy making and allow for the legislative supremacy of Westminster. The British parliament is perfectly capable and competent of legislating for the British electorate on those matters.

On European affairs, Mr Sarkozy is also now seeking to sign up to the Charter of Fundamental Rights as a declaration under the erroneous belief that a “declaration” will not have the force of law. Yet, as Bill cash declared in The Times: “the European Court would still construe any such declaration as being a matter for the European Court, taking ‘precedence over those by national judges.’” A declaration would have the force of law. Therefore the case for rejecting the Charter of Fundamental Rights – as a principle and as a part of the Constitution – must be repudiated by all political parties.

Bill Cash has always argued for the fair trial of terrorist suspects, habeas corpus, and for due legal process, but the whole practice on human rights, from the Belmarsh case to the present day has clearly shown that the judiciary refuses to put public security first.

Bill Cash MP, Chairman of the European Foundation, said:
“Somebody needs to pat John Reid on the back. I have been arguing for Britain to opt-out of the ECHR for years. I also proposed that we should repeal the Human Rights Act when I was Shadow Attorney General and have argued consistently since then that we should opt out of ECHR.”