David Cameron: We will scrap the Human Rights Act ‘once and for all’
Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to scrap the Human Rights Act if re-elected next year.
The PM announced plans at Conservative Party conference today to scrap the Human Rights Act and withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights, and replace both with a British “Bill of Rights”.
He said: “At long last, with a Conservative government after the next election, this country will have a new British Bill of Rights, to be passed in our parliament, rooted in our values.
“As for Labour’s Human Rights Act, we will scrap it once and for all.”
Article 14 of the Human Rights Act, which affords protection from discrimination, has been used in many legal cases to argue for protection for LGBT people.
Cameron’s call to scrap the Act and leave the ECHR has been met with reservation from rights campaigners.
Kate Allen, the head of Amnesty International, said: “Disappointing to hear the PM vowing to scrap the Human Rights Act when it has done so much good. We should be defending it.”
Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, added: “Shame on the Prime Minister for citing Churchill, while promising to trash his legacy.”
