Human rights act should be 'criminal rights act', Braverman claims as Tory frogmarched out for 'softly-spoken heckling'

3 October 2023, 16:32 | Updated: 3 October 2023, 19:15

The Human Rights Act should be the ‘Criminal Rights Act’, Suella Braverman claimed during a divisive speech, which saw a Tory frogmarched out for 'softly-spoken heckling'.

The Home Secretary said current levels of immigration are being "too high", referencing a "hurricane" of migration that looks set to land on our shores.

Pointing the finger of blame at Labour, she claimed that current immigration issues stem from equality laws, which she said were passed by previous Labour governments.

During the speech, Braverman also suggested that liberalism and the support of immigration were “luxury beliefs”.

She criticised "gender ideology, white privilege" and anti-British history, adding: "The evidence demonstrates that if you don't challenge this poison, things just get worse."

Her stark comments divided the Conservative party, with London Assembly Chair, Andrew Boff, "a loyal Conservative of 50 years", hear saying from his conference seat: "There's no such thing as gender ideology."

The heavy-handed response saw Mr Boff quickly surrounded by officials and police.

Mr Boff said the Home Secretary had been "vilifying" gay people as he was removed from the Manchester convention centre.

The London Assembly member added that her comments were "making the Conservative party look transphobic and homophobic" as he was removed from the site in Manchester by police.

During her speech, the Home Secretary said: "I know there are some who think that emphasising the importance of law and order or secure borders, is unedifying. They look down on those of us who care about such things.

"Of course, they are entitled to their beliefs. But let’s be honest.

"These are luxury beliefs," said Braverman.

She continued: "What do I mean by that?

"Our politically correct critics have money. They have status. And they have loud voices.

Her speech followed comments made by fellow Tory MP, Nicola Richards, who said that politicians “have a responsibility to make sure we are talking about facts”.

The West Bromwich East parliamentary member's words came amid a debate over '15-minute cities', where she added: “sometimes colleagues need a reminder of their language”.

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"They have the luxury of promoting seductive but irresponsible ideas safe in the knowledge that their privilege will insulate them from any collateral damage.

"The luxury beliefs brigade sit in their ivory towers telling ordinary people that they are morally deficient because they dare to get upset about the impact of illegal migration, net zero, or habitual criminals."

Adding that liberals and Labour "like open borders" and "soft sentences", she added that those groups are "more likely to have them mowing their lawns or cleaning their homes".

Her comments come on the eve of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's closing speech, in which he's expected to scrap the Birmingham to Manchester leg of HS2.