Sunak criticised for saying border security more important than staying in European court of human rights

Cameron rules out Nato sending troops to Ukraine

David Cameron, the foreign secretary, is giving interviews today, and he has spoken to the BBC’s Ukrainecast podcast. Explaining Nato support for Ukraine, he said:

What Nato is looking at is a Nato mission for Ukraine, not a Nato mission in Ukraine. It’s making sure that we use Nato’s architecture to help deliver some of the support that Ukraine needs. But, fundamentally, I think that we should do everything we can to help Ukraine – that’s been Britain’s position.

And I think it’s not escalatory to say we are going to help this independent sovereign country to fight off an aggressor, and we’re going to give it all the help we can in order to do that.

Asked if he could imagine Nato boots on the ground in Ukraine, Cameron replied: “No.” He went on:

I think that we don’t want to give [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a target like that, and Nato can do lots of things to better co-ordinate the help we give to Ukraine.

But, fundamentally, for countries like Britain and all those supportive of Ukraine, this is a question of political will. Do we have the patience? Do we have the will? Are we prepared to give the resources? Now, in Britain’s case, definitely the answer is yes.

David Cameron at Nato HQ in Brussels this morning, listening to speeches marking the alliance’s 75th anniversary. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

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Good morning. There has been intense interest in when Rishi Sunak will call the general election, but much less on what he will decide to put in the Conservative party’s manifesto. That’s understandable; no one expects the Tory manifesto pledges to be implemented. But it will still have some impact on policy debate in the UK and a big, unresolved question is what it says about leaving the European convention on human rights (ECHR).

Some Tories want Sunak to commit to withdrawal. Another possibility would be to propose a referendum on leaving the ECHR. The mildest option would be to retain withdrawal as an option, depending on whether or not the European court of human rights (ECtHR), which enforces the ECHR, blocks deportation to Rwanda.

Sunak’s decision will not affect what the next government does, because there’s only a 1% chance he will be running it. But it will have some influence on whether or not one nation Tories still feel comfortable in their party, and whether or not the Conservative party aligns more closely with Reform UK.

As PM Sunak has normally not ruled out leaving the ECHR in interviews, while insisting that he can implement his Rwanda policy without needing to withdraw. After the supreme court blocked the Rwanda plan last year, he started saying he would “not allow a foreign court to block these flights”. But that seemed to be a reference to being willing to ignore ECtHR injunctions, and not a reference to full withdrawal from the convention.

Last night Sunak went further. In an interview with the Sun’s new online politics show, Never Mind the Ballots, he said border security was “more important” than remaining a member of the ECtHR.

Asked if the Conservative manifesto could include a pledge to leave the convention, he replied:

I believe that all plans are compliant with all of our international obligations, including the ECHR, but I do believe that border security, and making sure that we can control illegal migration, is more important than membership of a foreign court because it’s fundamental to our sovereignty as a country.

Sunak tends to be quite deliberate with his choice of words in interviews, and he used the exact phrase about border security being “more important than membership of a foreign court” twice in the interview. It does not answer the question about what will be in the manifesto, but it goes beyond what he has said before.

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Rishi Sunak vows to quit European Court if it will help stop small boats on #NeverMindTheBallots.

Watch the full interview with the Prime Minister, hosted by @MrHarryCole, on https://t.co/sOsZmZ2K9A and The Sun's YouTube channel from 7pm: https://t.co/SgJzTMSLSK pic.twitter.com/5qiL6I8UxU

— The Sun (@TheSun) April 3, 2024