James Manning/PA
It’s a derogatory term that seems to be sticking to right-leaning politicians on either side of the Atlantic. After the Democrats started branding Donald Trump as JD Vance as ‘weird’, a similar phenomenon has started happening in the UK – and even some senior Tories agree.
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Lord Patten was former chairman for the Conservative Party in the early 1990s. He has served the organisation for decades, and even spent five years as Tony Blair’s European Commissioner. So his position on the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) likely comes as no surprise.
The binding agreement is the latest object of Tory ire. Robert Jenrick, who is vying to replace Rishi Sunak alongside Kemi Badenoch, has taken a particularly strong stance against the ECHR, vowing to quit the partnership should be ever become Prime Minister.
Proponents of leaving the ECHR suggest it would make controlling immigration easier. However, one of the most common criticisms of this approach is how it would likely derail the Good Friday Agreement – a point Lord Patten has been keen to make.
Speaking with LBC on Sunday, he dismissed the concept of quitting the ECHR as ‘rubbish’, accusing politicians like Robert Jenrick of spouting ‘absolute drivel’. However, the 80-year-old went one better – and said that the argument is making some Tories ‘look weird’.
“It’s rubbish. It’s rubbish to think that matches with the Good Friday Agreement. The argument we should leave with the ECHR is complete nonsense and I would vote for anybody who fought against this idea. It’s absolute drivel.”
“When you go round on doorsteps canvassing, people aren’t saying they want us to leave the ECHR. They’re more concerned about many other things. It’s a bit like the perception of Trump and Vance, these things make the Conservatives look a bit weird.” | Lord Patten
