Nigel Farage’s attempt to introduce legislation that would see the UK leave the European Convention on Human Rights has been rejected by MPs.
The Reform UK leader faced heckling during the debate in the House of Commons, with one MP accusing him of acting like “Putin’s patsy”. At one point, Mr Farage told MPs behind him to “be quiet” amid repeated interruptions.
He was seeking permission to bring forward a Bill to withdraw from the ECHR through a Ten Minute Rule motion.
The vote was on the principle of introducing such legislation rather than the proposal itself.
MPs opposed the motion by 154 votes to 96, a majority of 58.
How Gloucestershire’s MPs voted
Here are the Gloucestershire-area constituencies and how their MPs cast their votes (or abstained) in the division:
-
Alex McIntyre – Gloucester – No vote recorded.
-
Max Wilkinson – Cheltenham – Voted No.
- Cameron Thomas – Tewkesbury – Voted No.
- Dr Simon Opher – Stroud – Voted No.
- Matt Bishop – Forest of Dean – No vote recorded.
- Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown – North Cotswold – Voted Yes.
- Dr Roz Savage – South Cotswold – Voted No.
Stroud MP Dr Simon Opher was among those who voted against the proposal. He said: “Today, I voted against Nigel Farage’s Bill that would have dragged us out of the European Convention on Human Rights. The ECHR is a cornerstone of our democracy — protecting the rights and freedoms that define us as a nation. It was shaped by British lawyers and inspired by British values after the horrors of the Second World War.
To walk away from it now would damage our international standing and risk destabilising key agreements, including the Good Friday Agreement.”