Human Rights

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, said at Labour's annual party conference at Bournemouth yesterday that newcomers to Britain who engage in criminal activities would be deported. Today's political commentators say it is impossible to deport them because of the Human Rights Act.

1) Mr. Brown's use of the words "newcomers to Britain" instead of "foreigners" should have immediately aroused suspicions of intent to deceive. If it's their second or third visit (but he doesn't use the word "visit") does that make it all right?

2) Mr. Brown's careful choice of words were doubtless intended to gain votes from people who would otherwise vote Conservative.

3) Mr. Brown was part of the Government that introduced the Human Rights Act.

4) The Human Rights Act was intended to speed up the process of application to the Council of Europe, not to alter the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights,

5) There is nothing in the Convention that specifically prevents deportation. (Or allows entry, for that matter.)

6) The application of human rights has resulted in a systemic imbalance because people who have not infringed the law have no recourse to them.

7) When David Blunkett was Home Secretary he said it should be the politicians not lawyers who make the law. As Home Secretary he, more than anyone else, was in a position to bring this about.

8) Native Britons find themselves increasingly strangers in their own country. This is largely self-inflicted by people who promote their own selfish interests (e.g., lawyers who make a lot of money; women who want to be able to live in two countries through marriage). The European Convention on Human Rights was designed to prevent - not exacerbate - this unhappy situation.