Tories unleash flagship scheme ahead of conference – to abolish your rights!

Slavery in the UK: This image was part of a campaign against it - but the Conservative Party wants to extend it to include you.

Slavery in the UK: This image was part of a campaign against it – but the Conservative Party wants to extend it to include you.

One has to marvel at the twisted logic of modern Conservatives; right before their last party conference in the run-up to the general election, they can normally be expected to be trying to bribe us all with tax cuts and benefits (maybe they will come later).

Instead they are promising to remove the safety net that keeps us free of exploitation by – what a surprise! – the Conservatives and their friends.

It’s not a new plan – Vox Political reported on the policy back in March last year, when Theresa May announced that they would scrap the Human Rights Act and withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights if they win the 2015 general election. They aren’t saying anything different now.

Back then, she claimed it would be “in the national interest”, and now Injustice Secretary Chris Grayling is saying more or less the same thing, dressing it up as an attempt to return power to the UK.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “Decisions like ‘do prisoners get the vote?’ or ‘can you send brutal murderers to prison for their whole lives?’ seem to be outside our control. I want our supreme court to be supreme. Decisions that affect this country should be taken in this country.”

He did not mention all the other rights you are likely to lose if the Conservatives are allowed to get away with this.

The European Convention on Human Rights was co-drafted by the UK – in fact by the Conservatives’ greatest Prime Minister, Winston Churchill – just after World War II. It states that nation states’ primary duty is to “refrain from unlawful killing”, to “investigate suspicious deaths” and to “prevent foreseeable loss of life”.

VP commented in March 2013 that “the Coalition government has been reneging on this obligation – wholesale – since it came into power”. Look at the Department for Work and Pensions’ work capability assessment for Employment and Support Allowance, and the thousands – possibly tens of thousands – of deaths related to it.

Article 4 of the Convention prohibits slavery, servitude and forced labour, so removing it would give the Tories free hand to impose their Mandatory Work Activity or Workfare schemes on us – despite the fact that these schemes are worse than useless at getting people into employment. The real reason for them is that they are a money-making scam to ensure the businesses involved support the Conservative Party.

Article 6 provides a detailed right to a fair trial, which is something Mr Grayling has been working hard to take away from you for a considerable period of time. It’s where you get the right to a public hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal within a reasonable time (the Coalition’s secret courts have removed this right already), and where the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is enshrined.

Article 8 provides a right to respect for another person’s “private and family life… home and… correspondence”. This has been violated, of course, by the Tory-led Coalition’s recent Surveillance Act.

Article 10 provides a right to freedom of expression, so removing it would allow the Tories to censor the Internet and remove blogs such as Vox Political, leaving only their own propaganda.

Article 11 protects the right to freedom of assembly and association, including the right to form trade unions. Obviously the Tories would love to ban the unions, but removing this would allow them the ability to ban anti-government demonstrations and it is probably why Boris Johnson bought his water cannons.

The Human Rights Act 1998 (brought in by the Labour Party) is the UK legislation that makes the European Convention binding on this country, meaning that breaches of it may be remedied in British courts, rather than the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. It is only appeals against the decisions of the British courts that go to Europe.

Grayling doesn’t like the idea of impartial foreigners ruling on whether his government’s politically-motivated human rights violations are legal.

That’s why he said; “I want our supreme court to be supreme. Decisions that affect this country should be taken in this country.” He wants absolute power over you.

Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney-General who got the sack during the summer, described the Tory attack on human rights as “incoherent”. It is widely believed to be one of the reasons he got the push.

The Tories are also determined to tie this policy in with anti-European Union rhetoric, even though the ECHR is nothing to do with the EU.

The Guardian‘s story on Grayling’s announcement includes a coda in which Savid Javid, our Sontaran* culture secretary, tried to reassure people that Britain could still prosper if it leaves the EU, despite the possible loss of hundreds of billions of pounds worth of trade deals (as reported in this blog previously).

But that’s another fact they’d rather you did not know. Misdirection is the only way forward for modern Conservatives.

Remember “There will be no top-down reorganisation of the NHS”?

*It’s a Doctor Who reference. Look up pictures of Javid and a Sontaran and you’ll spot the resemblance.

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18 Comments

  1. thoughtfullyprepping September 28, 2014 at 12:03 pm - Reply

    And still the sheeple slumber.

  2. joanna may September 28, 2014 at 12:11 pm - Reply

    Why Isn’t anyone questioning the education given at Eton and other toff schools and the relevance the content of that education has on “normal” living? I realise this might not be relevant in itself, but I know people who were not lucky educationally, but even they and I can see huge holes in their policies. Common sense is the one thing that is sorely lacking and should be on the curriculum throughout the land, instead all we have is insidious greed and no moral compass from sub-humans who are so rich, they don’t know what real life or living is. Even though life is very hard, it can also be very rewarding, they will never know that.

    I am sorry if none of this rant makes any sense!

  3. hugosmum70 September 28, 2014 at 12:26 pm - Reply

    they are doing this so that they cannot be tried on human rights issues. its blatantly obvious. talk on facebook with ppl calling for them to face trial for the deaths of so many people etc. the UN investigating human rights failures by this govt…of course they are going to be absolutely sh*tting themselves now so have to do something to keep them from being charged,

  4. Rik September 28, 2014 at 12:55 pm - Reply

    Well until we get off our fat arses and on the streets and protest, as much as you guys are awesome, until we get all our different issues in one place and support each other, we are divided and conquered, so has it ever been, so will it ever be.

  5. hellsbells46 September 28, 2014 at 12:57 pm - Reply

    When the 7 may arrives, I hope that every polling station has an independant party polling all who vote as to whom they vote for. That way a very clear picture should emerge early on and hopefully lessen the chance of any voter fraud. You just cannot trust these goons.

  6. casalealex September 28, 2014 at 2:37 pm - Reply

    Now look, these guys know what they are doing. They are having a hard time from their sponsors, who want our human rights taken away from us so they can bring in their own rights!

    The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is expected to finalise their EU and US agreement next year. TTIP is purported to be a free trade deal which would lead to a series of benefits for businesses, workers and consumers.

    “Jobs would be created, wages would go up and the average household would benefit by as much as £400 a year”. said Trade Minister Lord Livingston.

    He cited examples of small companies unable to sell goods to the US because of differences in the colour of some wires or the size of bottles.
    “This is a very big prize, removing most tariffs so that more companies will be able to trade with the United States. We are trying to bring standards together, not reduce them,” he said.
    The minister said the NHS was not being excluded from the deal because it would not be affected. “The NHS will not see any change to its existing obligations – the deal would not change the nature of what happens today,” Lord Livingston said.
    Prime Minister David Cameron has said TTIP could be the biggest bilateral trade deal in history, describing it as a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.

    But is the agreement undemocratic?
    George Monbiot has called it “a full-frontal assault to democracy “:
    “Remember that referendum about whether we should create a single market with the United States? You know, the one that asked whether corporations should have the power to strike down our laws? No, I don’t either.”

    Foreign corporations could also be allowed to SUE governments!
    One of the most controversial clauses in the agreement allows for an “investor-state dispute settlement” system which would allow corporations to challenge signatory governments if their policies don’t favour them.
    A panel of three people would adjudicate each case and their ruling would be binding. This would override the legal systems of signatory countries.
    It’s been employed in other countries, to mixed results from a consumer point of view.
    • Remembered when Australia introduced plain packaging for cigarettes? A tobacco manufacturer sued the government .
    • Argentina froze its utility prices in 2002. The utility companies sued the government.
    • Last year a US drug company sued Canada for revoking two of its patents

    The TTIP could affect food standards
    Europeans and Americans have different approaches to food safety. For example, while US authorities rely on private companies to evaluate food safety, in Europe we rely on official bodies.
    Campaigners are concerned that if big corporations have their way, European food safety and animal welfare laws could be watered down .
    Meat treated with drugs to promote growth (currently banned in the EU) or chemically treated poultry could start appearing in our supermarkets.
    Some are worried that genetically modified food from the US could find its way onto our shelves.
    The TTIP of the iceberg?
    The trade agreement will undoubtedly favour consumers in other ways. Prices of most goods will fall – including medicines – and there will also be a greater variety of products.
    Proponents also say it will create jobs and help small businesses.
    But at what price?
    Do you think a new European/US trade agreement would be a good thing?
    • YES 6% NO 94%
    “Big business might love this deal, but most voters don’t.”

    • Mike Sivier September 28, 2014 at 4:57 pm - Reply

      It’s inaccurate to say the negotiations will be concluded next year. The EU’s site on the subject says the negotiators hope to be concluded “within a couple of years” http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ttip/questions-and-answers/
      You have clearly copied and pasted this material from a website. Please provide the attribution so we can all visit it.

  7. Therion September 28, 2014 at 7:30 pm - Reply

    This is being virally shared on FB and some of the comments are inspiredly twisted, such as ‘Forget ISIS, the Tories already impose sharia law’ etc. etc – personally, I think people who over-exaggerate are worse than Hitler!

  8. steve scott September 28, 2014 at 8:35 pm - Reply

    The “strategy” is based upon the Tories (and UKIP) depending upon enough people being sufficiently gullible,stupid and bigoted to swallow this. Let’s prove them wrong !

  9. Thomas M September 29, 2014 at 12:37 am - Reply

    Whilst I don’t like it when murderers, thugs and terrorists misuse human rights, human rights are there to stop our government from sliding into fascism. And this government is one of the most unpleasant in recent memory.

  10. Patrick Neylan September 29, 2014 at 1:30 am - Reply

    Sorry, do people take this idiocy seriously? I could go through it line by line but it would take too long because none of it makes sense and none of it is backed up by facts, just conjecture and hysterical hyperbole.

    I don’t flinch any more at the left in opposition applauding the idea of unelected foreigners over-ruling an elected UK government (so long as that government is Tory), but what strips this blog post of all credibility is the ridiculous assertion that the DWP’s work capability assessment is responsible for “thousands – possibly tens of thousands – of deaths”. Oh, and the assertion that the Tories want to re-introduce slavery.

    I’ve never voted Tory in my life but if this is the quality of the opposing arguments, I’m starting to wonder if we really can do any better. That’s depressing.

    • Mike Sivier September 29, 2014 at 7:50 am - Reply

      I’m afraid we have to take Mr Grayling’s idiocy seriously because he will seriously attempt to enact it.
      Oh – you mean the concerns I posted in article are idiocy. Each to his own, I suppose.
      You don’t like unelected foreigners (in the Court of Human Rights, I take it?) making decisions about British citizens? But nobody in the UK courts has been elected either. They’re not MPs, you know.
      You lose credibility altogether when you suggest that the Work Capability Assessment has not led to many thousands of deaths. That kind of suggestion is just barking mad.

  11. amnesiaclinic September 29, 2014 at 1:32 pm - Reply

    We need have a very good strategy to get this out to people who do not see the significance of this in the bigger picture as you are so rightly pointing out. People are just interpreting human rights in the DM way as not being able to deport hate preachers etc is how it has been sold and in the current climate many people are going along without seeing the real significance and how it is taking away our basic human rights. Pick a subject like this and let’s go all out for writing letters and articles and reblogging Kitty’s excellent blogs.

    A really key issue! (Mind you the sleaze may decide it!)

    X

  12. stephentamblin September 29, 2014 at 6:54 pm - Reply

    Why don’t the British public get rid of thease Torys I can tell you now thay will not take my freedom away I will fight for my rites why the he’ll are thay picking on the poor and inferm what about the bleady Ritch and bleady footballers who earn absolutely millions the gap between the Ritch and poor is to wide and politions get 75 million a year give all of them a minimum wage see how thay like that

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