Stephen Doughty

Stephen Doughty

Labour (Co-op) — Cardiff South and Penarth

Speaking in the House of Commons on 5 November 2025

Debate

Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights

Contribution

I will not, because I want to give time for my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge to wind up. We need to ensure that we retain public confidence in our policies related to the ECHR, so we must look at where we can reform and evolve. Last week, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe was clear that he was open to discuss potential changes or adaptations—my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) raised that important point. Other Council of Europe member states share the UK’s view that the ECHR needs to evolve. We are talking to them about what might be possible, but we will not leave the ECHR. We recognise the hugely important role that it plays, and the hugely important role that the Council of Europe plays for people in this country. This is something that Britain was involved in at the start. It is not a foreign imposition; it plays an important role in the life of the British people. I thank all hon. Members for their contributions to this debate.

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