The seemingly never-ending saga of Tory disagreements has found a new battlefield, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), an entity some Conservatives affectionately label as a relic unable to safeguard modern borders.
Today, amidst the heated Commons debate, it seemed like the season premiere of “Tories at War: The ECHR Saga”. Robert Jenrick, the notable Home Office minister, decided to stoke the flames by labelling the treaty as “out of date”, a term often reserved for expired groceries rather than crucial international agreements.
Senior Tory MPs, Sir Bill Cash and David Jones, played their roles perfectly, urging the government to make bold moves against the ECHR, lest the UK lose its identity amidst a migrant crisis that seems to have no borders, quite literally according to them.
The scene became more animated as Jones beckoned for renegotiations with the Council of Europe, citing a need to protect, well, seemingly just our borders and those of our equally concerned European neighbours. Cash, on the other hand, prefers a wardrobe change rather than a complete exit, suggesting a tailored approach to legislation to address the specific issue at hand.
In the midst of the turmoil, the centrist Tory Reform Group surfaced as the voice of reason or perhaps the killjoys of this dramatic episode, warning against a total ECHR withdrawal. Their cautionary tale foresees potential threats to the Northern Ireland peace process and a tarnished UK reputation.
While some might dub this a classical political confrontation, others might view it as another season of an unending Tory soap opera, where members try to outdo each other in an ever-escalating spiral of rhetoric and action.
The season finale is yet to come, and viewers are left in suspense: Will the Tories stand united or fall divided over the ECHR saga? Stay tuned.
