Nigel Farage’s call for a referendum on Britain’s ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) membership sparked a furious row on GB News.
Broadcaster Mike Parry said the European court is part of Tony Blair’s legacy and has profound impacts on every aspect of life in Britain.
Former Labour MP Stephen Pound defended the UK’s membership, arguing it safeguards important pillars of society.
He told Miriam Cates: “There is only one aspect of British law that the ECHR fundamentally affects, and that is the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement.
Mike Parry clashed with Stephen Pound
GB NEWS
“If we pull out of the ECHR, we collapse the Good Friday Agreement.”
Parry interjected to say Pound’s comment is a “red herring”, to which the former Labour MP hit back: “It’s not a red herring. It’s a fact.”
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Parry continued: “Have you looked at the composition of the ECHR? Most of the people in it are not judges.
“Most of them are legal advocates in Europe, it’s not like they have robes and all that.”
Pound interjected to argue all the legal bodies in the ECHR are qualified to do the job, a remark Parry once again disagreed with.
“Legally qualified, but not to judge status”, he said.
Ben Leo and Miriam Cates presided over the debate
GB NEWS
“They would not be able to sit at the Old Bailey in our country because they do not have the qualifications.
“It’s a huge European bloc to try and make everybody obey them.”
He added: “Its tentacles spread into every area of our lives. When Tony Blair invented the Human Rights Act, that was to give us a mirror image of the ECHR in Europe which we can’t withdraw from.”
The former Labour MP was disapproving of the argument put forward, telling the broadcaster he is guilty of “paranoia”, a point Parry slapped down.
Nigel Farage used his opening speech in Parliament to demand an ECHR referendum
GB NEWS
It comes after Nigel Farage used his maiden speech in Parliament yesterday to call for a referendum on the UK’s ECHR membership.
The ECHR was seen as a sticking point by the former Tory government in its bid to deport migrants to Rwanda.
The Strasbourg court, whose rulings Britain has to abide by, scuppered the first Rwanda flights in June 2022 by blocking deportation flights to the African country at the last minute.
Farage said in Parliament: “We will only stop this if we start deporting people that come illegally.
“Then they won’t pay the smugglers. But we will only do that by leaving the ECHR.
“I have got a fun suggestion that I think would liven up politics, engage the public and see a massively increased turnout.
“Why don’t we have a referendum on whether we continue to be members of the ECHR?”