A storm is brewing in British politics and at its eye stands the country’s most senior legal authority, Attorney-General Richard Hermer, who has delivered a blistering rebuke to Conservative star Kemi Badenoch’s provocative proposal to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
At a packed lecture for the Royal United Services Institute, Hermer didn’t just dismiss Badenoch’s call as naïve; he warned it would be downright dangerous, handing a political lifeline to Russia’s Vladimir Putin and shaking the very foundations of Western democracy.
Why the heat? Badenoch argues Britain must break free from international treaties like the ECHR to reclaim control, especially over immigration laws that critics say tie the government’s hands such as the controversial Article 8, which protects family life and privacy but can block deportations, including of convicted criminals.
But Hermer fired back with a powerful defense of international law as the backbone of true sovereignty. “Without international law, sovereignty is a hollow word, a mirage in a world where the strong simply take what they want,” he said, painting a stark picture of a world ruled by brute force if treaties are discarded.
Far from a dry legal lecture, Hermer’s speech tapped into the heart of a much bigger battle: between short-term political posturing and the long game of global influence and security. He called for reform of the treaties, not rejection, warning that politicians who underestimate the consequences risk weakening the UK and empowering authoritarian rivals who thrive on Western disunity.
Behind the scenes, Hermer, appointed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a fellow human rights champion, is standing firm against accusations from critics branding him a “lefty lawyer” who values international law over Britain’s national interests. Instead, he argues, Britain’s strength lies in being a “progressive realist” who embraces international cooperation without surrendering democratic control.
As Britain wrestles with its identity post-Brexit, Hermer’s words are a powerful reminder that abandoning the ECHR isn’t just a legal choice, it’s a geopolitical gamble that could reshape the UK’s standing on the world stage.
The question now is: will politicians listen before it’s too late, or will Britain risk handing the keys of Western democracy to its fiercest adversaries?
