Conservatives Unveil Plan to Leave ECHR, Arguing Convention is "Holding Britain Back"

London – The Conservative Party has reaffirmed its commitment to withdraw the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), unveiling a detailed report that outlines its case for replacing the international treaty with a new British bill of rights.

Kemi Badenoch, the leading figure in the party, presented the plan as the, "most serious, detailed piece of work any political party has produced", on the issue. She argued that the ECHR, and the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, have repeatedly overruled British democracy and prevented the government from acting in the national interest.

"For years, politicians have promised to take back control. But time and again, when we tried to act in Britain’s interests, we were blocked", Badenoch stated. "Not by voters, but by judges in Strasbourg. The European Convention on Human Rights was never meant to overrule our democracy. Yet today, it is holding Britain back".

The plan, based on a comprehensive review led by former justice minister Lord Wolfson KC, concludes that leaving the ECHR is a necessary step to restore full sovereignty to the UK Parliament. Badenoch cited several key areas where she claims the Convention has hindered the UK government.

"It has stopped us from deporting foreign criminals. It has tied our hands on border security", she said, in a clear reference to the legal challenges faced by the government's flagship Rwanda asylum policy. Badenoch also claimed the ECHR, "has been used to launch legal attacks on our veterans, and it’s made it harder to put British families first for housing and services".

Declaring. "Enough is enough", she confirmed the review's primary conclusion: "If we want to protect our borders, our veterans, and our democracy then… Britain must leave the ECHR".

The proposal aims to position the Conservatives as the only party with a credible and thoroughly prepared strategy for such a significant constitutional change. Badenoch contrasted her party's approach with that of political rivals, whom she accused of treating the complex issue as a, "slogan or a silver bullet".

"Leaving the ECHR isn’t easy, but it can be done and only the Conservatives are strong and capable enough to do it properly", she asserted. "Unlike other parties… we recognise the complexity. That’s why we have a plan built on months of hard work and detailed legal preparation".

The debate over the UK's membership of the ECHR, a treaty Britain helped draft in the aftermath of World War II, has been a long-running fault line in British politics. Critics of withdrawal warn it could damage the UK's international standing, undermine human rights protections, and have unforeseen consequences for the Good Friday Agreement and future trade deals.

However, the Conservatives argue their proposed British bill of rights would protect fundamental freedoms while restoring the principle that ultimate legal authority rests with the UK Parliament and its courts.

"This is about more than leaving a treaty", Badenoch concluded. "It’s about restoring trust in our democracy and giving power back to the people you elect. People have been let down many times before. I know that now, more than ever, getting it right matters".