Salisbury MP: Why I voted yes to quit ECHR

Salisbury’s MP John Glen has shared why he voted for Nigel Farage’s 10-minute rule motion on the UK leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Tory MP shared on social media, “Contrary to some of the rhetoric that surrounds this debate, this is not a vote for fewer rights or weaker protections under the law, it is a vote to put power back into the hands of the British people and their Parliament.

“A Government is elected on its manifesto, but if governments cannot deliver on their promises because of the ECHR, then we have reached an impasse - major infrastructure projects spend decades tied up in red tape, public services and social housing cannot be for British citizens first, veterans face endless prosecutions over historic allegations.”

Yesterday Reform UK’s Nigel Farage told MPs, "We are not sovereign all the while we are part of the ECHR, the European Council and its associated court. It's as simple as that."

A large number of Lib Dem MPs turned up to oppose Nigel Farage's rule motion, an effort which descended into orchestrated heckling, making many commentators questioning Liberal Democrats’ ‘maturity’ and ‘professionalism’, calling the scenes "appalling" and "disgusting behaviour".

During Mr Farage’s speech, the Deputy speaker called ‘order’ several times, reminding hissing and heckling LibDems that the Reform leader “should be listened to without interruption".

Firing back at the mocking backbenchers, Mr Farage responded by saying, “Children be quiet”, “I’ve never seen so many Liberal Democrats in all my life…” and sarcastically adding, “It’s marvellous to see the intellectual levels of debate in this place, it really is”.

Online political commentary website Guido Fawkes published, “The performative outrage from the LibDems surrounding [Farage] on the green benches was entirely predictable. Entertaining nonetheless…”

Former Sky News anchor and Assistant Editor of the Salisbury Review, Colin Brazier, said some MPs behaviour in the House yesterday was "unworthy of a students' union".

Mr Glen concluded in his Tweet of last night, “Other mature democracies such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand have never needed the ECHR to ensure that their political systems function effectively, their rights are respected, and their parliaments remain sovereign.

“This country has a centuries-old common law tradition of liberty under the law that is the envy of the world, exiting the ECHR is about stating our own belief in the highest standards of human rights, while regaining control of the operation of our own laws.”

JustCallMeMum on X, formerly Twitter commented, “One of 4 copies of the Magna Carta is kept in the Chapter House of Salisbury Cathedral. Perhaps MPs need to get out of Westminster and take a trip to your constituency to visit this beautiful cathedral and see the document that gave us our liberty for centuries before ECHR”.

Neither of Swindon's Labour MPs were in attendance.

The Reform UK leader's motion was defeated by 154 votes to 96.