Boris Johnson claims there is a ‘strong case’ for referendum on UK's ECHR membership

3 October 2024, 21:39

Former PM Boris Johnson has said there is now a “strong case” for Britain to have a referendum on its membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The UK’s place in the ECHR has been a key debate in the ongoing Conservative leadership race, with candidate Robert Jenrick pledging to take Britain out of it.

According to Mr Johnson, the ECHR might not “provide people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have”.

The ECHR was adopted in 1950 and protects a person’s right to life, security, freedom of thought and expression.

Read more: Boris Johnson found 'bugging device in his toilet' after visit from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

Ahead of the release of his new memoir, the former PM and Tory MP has said he would support a referendum on the UK’s membership of the convention.

He told the Telegraph: “I would. I think it has changed. It has become much more legally adventurist.

“It’s trying to second guess what national jurisdiction should do.

“There’s a strong case for a proper referendum, a proper discussion about it because I’m not certain that it actually provides people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have.”

In his memoir, titled ‘Unleased’, Mr Johnson claims to have found a bugging device in his toilet after a visit from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Johnson alleged that his security team had made the discovery when they did a sweep of the toilets after the Israeli premier had used them during a meeting in 2017.

Writing in his memoir, titled "Unleashed", the former Tory MP said Mr Netanyahu had excused himself during talks at his old office to use the washroom, described as "a secret annex... a bit like the gents in a posh London club."

Mr Johnson said: "Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox."

Mr Johnson did not confirm if the UK government confronted Israel about this alleged listening device. It comes after the former PM claimed a secret plot was devised to invade Holland and seize Covid vaccines.

The former PM said he drew up plans for British special forces to step in after "futile" negotiations with EU chiefs over the release of five million vaccines.

Writing in his new memoir Mr Johnson says he intended to take matters into his own hands when supplies were "kidnapped" by Brussels bureaucrats in a warehouse in Leiden.

He convened a meeting of senior military officials in March 2021 to discuss the plans.

The extract says the deputy chief of the defence staff, Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers, told the PM the plan was "certainly feasible", using rigid inflatable boats to navigate Dutch canals.

"They would then rendezvous at the ­target; enter; secure the ­hostage goods, exfiltrate using an articulated lorry, and make their way to the Channel ports," Mr Johnson writes.

But the senior officer said it would not be possible to do this undetected, with lockdowns meaning the authorities might observe the raid, meaning the UK would "have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing Nato ally".

It was later concluded that the idea was "nuts".