Facts

In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, urging withdrawal from the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), Andrea Jenkyns stated that “The overwhelming majority of British people do not want reform to the Court, they want to withdraw from the convention altogether.” She then went on to say, “My constituents, alongside many millions in our Nation voted to end the jurisdiction of this foreign court.”

Millions did not vote to leave the ECHR, but the EU. The two are not the same. The ECHR was launched by the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe is older than the EU and not connected to it. 

YouGov published a poll in February 2023, in which it asked, “Do you think Britain should remain a member of the European Convention on Human Rights or should we withdraw from it?”. 55 per cent responded that we “should remain a member”, whilst 23% said we “should withdraw from it” and 23% said “not sure”. 

Verdict

The figures do not support Andrea Jenkyns’ witless assertion  that “The overwhelming majority of British people want to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights altogether.”  Jenkyns may have confused the Council of Europe with the European Council, an institution of the European Union.

We emailed Andrea Jenkyns’ parliamentary office offering her the chance to respond. We are yet to receive a response.