Labour is making alarming noises about human rights

When I came to the UK, I discovered something different.

- KOLBASSIA HAOUSSOU

I found a country that had built its reputation on fairness, compassion and the rule of law. A country that had been central to drafting the treaties that protect human rights globally, and that had always tried to set a positive example to the world. The UK was a place where I believed dignity and safety mattered.

That is why I am so alarmed by the direction our leaders are taking. At the Labour Party conference, prime minister Keir Starmer spoke of a vision for Britain rooted in dignity and respect. But how can that vision be reconciled with him saying that he is willing to look at how Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights is being implemented?

Let’s be clear: chipping away at Article 3 would not be “reform”. It would be an attack on the absolute ban on torture. Article 3 is the guarantee that no one - no matter who we are or where we come from - can be subjected to torture or inhuman treatment. There are no exceptions, no caveats, no circumstances in which this right can be suspended. To weaken it is to undermine one of the most fundamental protections of human dignity that exists.