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Dear John,
We need you to write to your MP today. Let me explain why…
Not long back we warned that Robert Jenrick was trying to force anyone standing for election as a Conservative to back leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a dangerous sign that some Conservatives were happy to dance to Farage’s tune.
In the weeks since, that danger has escalated significantly.
Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch has now confirmed that her party would take the UK out of the ECHR if they win the next election. What was once the wild, extremist ambition of Farage is now the official policy of His Majesty’s Official Opposition.
For Badenoch, this is likely an attempt to stay relevant in the public eye. She sees the attention Farage gets from the media when he talks about the ECHR and she wants some of that. For Farage, though, the motivation is more sinister.
He can see how the ECHR would get in the way of him implementing the kind of policies favoured by his political heroes - Trump and Putin - and he wants it out of his way. And that is EXACTLY why we must keep it.
** WHY THE ECHR MATTERS
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Think of the ECHR like a fire escape on a building. Most of the time, you don’t even notice it. You hope you’ll never need it. But if that building catches fire, it can be the difference between life and death.
Yes, fire escapes can sometimes be misused. Burglars may climb them to break in. But no one would argue that’s a reason to rip them off of every building. The protection they provide in emergencies far outweighs the risks.
The ECHR works the same way. It isn’t something most people have to think about in their daily lives, but when they need it, they’ll be very glad it’s there. Remember, the ECHR exists to guarantee a basic level of protection when things go wrong. Guarantees against torture, wrongful imprisonment, or other abuses of state power.
It was written in the aftermath of the worst war the world has ever seen, a war that saw millions of innocent people uprooted from their homes, detained without cause, even tortured and murdered with impunity. And Britain was pivotal in shaping it. Churchill himself spoke of a “charter of human rights” to protect ordinary people from the excesses of power.
Forgetting the lessons we took from that war is the surest way to see the mistakes that led to it repeated in our own time.
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** JUST LOOK ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
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Donald Trump is already implementing policies that echo those of the dictators who led us into that war. From open defiance of the law to using military force to crush protest, he’s building a model of government based on unchecked power. Unchecked power has no place in a functioning democracy.
Does anyone doubt that Nigel Farage, if given the keys to Number 10, would follow a similar script? He has always admired the ‘strong men’ of politics. And without the ECHR, the checks on a government determined to trample our rights would be weaker than ever.
Why on earth would we want to give up a protection that helps shield us from the worst excesses of authoritarianism?
** THE REAL-WORLD RISKS
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Leaving the ECHR is not an abstract idea. It has concrete, dangerous consequences:
* Civil liberties: Once citizens rights become an optional extra for governments, they can do what they want with no fear of being held accountable.
* Northern Ireland: The Good Friday Agreement is bound to the Convention. Unpicking it risks destabilising the current peace and returning to the misery of the troubles.
* Global impact: If Britain quits the ECHR, authoritarians abroad will use it as cover to clamp down – making the world a less-safe place and increasing the very global migration Farage detests.
* Moral leadership: How can we advocate for liberty, democracy and the rule of law around the world if we have abandoned their protection at home?
** THE BOTTOM LINE
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Human rights are not optional. They are not bargaining chips to be used in party power struggles. They are universal, indivisible, and permanent, or they are nothing.
As mentioned above, Britain helped build the ECHR from the ruins of war. If we were to abandon it now, it would not just be our international credibility at risk - it would be the safety, dignity, and freedom of every single one of us.
We cannot, and must not, let our political leaders forget what is at stake.
** SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
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Use Open Britain’s ActionMail tool to write to your MP today. Tell them, firmly and clearly: “You must protect our human rights.” Just enter your details and tick the issues you believe are most important and ActionMail will craft you a bespoke email and send it to your MP - quick and easy!
WRITE TO YOUR MP HERE ([link removed])
The more of us they hear from, the more likely they will be to think twice before going along with this ruinous policy.
Thank you for your support on this crucial issue.
Conor
Conor McKenzie
Digital Engagement Manager, Open Britain
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