European Convention on Human Rights (Withdrawal)

Steve Darling Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Farage]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am sure you will allow me the opportunity to continue to try to say something despite such constant interventions.

The British people voted clearly, by a massive margin, to bring back the sovereignty—[Interruption.] By the way, what makes me laugh about this is that it is not just about the sovereignty of this country; it is about the sovereignty of this very Chamber and the people within it. It is about bringing power back to this very place, and that is what we voted for.

One of the biggest reasons why the vote happened was the deep alarm at the huge numbers of people coming into our country and the fact that we effectively had open borders, making us poorer in every way. Of course, our membership of the Council of Europe and the European convention and its writing into British law in 1998 kind of enshrined that, and I think it is what Tony Blair wanted us to do.

I believe that Brexit cannot be complete all the while we are subject to a foreign Court and a piece of legislation brought in by the Blair Government on which judges can choose their own political interpretation. We are not sovereign all the while we are part of the European convention on human rights, the Council of Europe and its associated court. It is as simple as that.

[Steve Darling (Torbay) (LD)]

Putin’s patsy!

[Nigel Farage]

It is marvellous to see the intellectual levels of debate in this place—it really is.

Is it any wonder—[Interruption.] Is it any wonder that out in the country there is growing frustration—[Interruption.]