ITV News political editor Robert Peston explains how and why some of Boris Johnson’s recent political initiatives have provoked a huge backlash. The government cites Belfast Good Friday protection as a reason to unilaterally review the Northern Ireland Protocol agreed with the EU as a Brexit pillar. This puts it in a very difficult position today to challenge the ability of the European Court of Human Rights, the guarantor of the European Convention on Human Rights, to thwart the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda. Because the Belfast Agreement contains an explicit provision that the European Convention on Human Rights will be incorporated into Northern Irish law “with direct access to courts and remedies for breach of the Convention”. So if Boris Johnson modifies UK compliance with the Convention and insists on the NI Protocol to protect the Belfast Agreement, he would obviously have to create an exception for Northern Ireland. This would create a new border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the kind that both he and the NI trade unions say they hate. UK integrity is a delicate structure. Amending a major law so that Rwanda’s controversial policy can become more than just an expensive symbol – legal reform that will allow the actual deportation of asylum seekers – could have serious side effects. It is also worth remembering that after World War II the United Kingdom was one of the nations that created the ECHR as a way of enforcing international standards of human dignity. Do you want a quick and specific update on the biggest news? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out what you need to know
