Attorney General ‘regrets' comparing calls to leave ECHR with 1930s Germany
In a statement, Lord Richard Hermer's spokesman said the peer acknowledged his 'choice of words was clumsy' but rejected 'the characterisation of his speech by the Conservatives'.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has now called on the Prime Minister to sack his Attorney General, claiming that Lord Hermer 'believes in the rule of lawyers, not the rule of law'.
Lord Hermer has faced criticism for a speech on Thursday in which he criticised politicians who argued that Britain 'abandons the constraints of international law in favour of raw power'.
Arguing that similar claims had been made 'in the early 1930s by 'realist' jurists in Germany', Lord Hermer added that abandoning international law would only 'give succour to (Vladimir) Putin'.
He also said that because of what happened 'in 1933, far-sighted individuals rebuilt and transformed the institutions of international law'. That is the year that Adolf Hitler became German chancellor.
Lord Hermer's spokesman said: 'The Attorney General gave a speech defending international law which underpins our security, protects against threats from aggressive states like Russia and helps tackle organised immigration crime.
'He rejects the characterisation of his speech by the Conservatives. He acknowledges though that his choice of words was clumsy and regrets having used this reference.'
The attorney general is starting from a position of self loathing, where Britain is always wrong and everyone else is right.
It's why they're now spending £30bn to give away the Chagos islands. The Labour establishment is detached from the views of normal people.
The fact is… pic.twitter.com/XiSjDBFrx9
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) May 30, 2025
Tory leader Mrs Badenoch has now said that Sir Keir Starmer should sack Lord Hermer.
'Hermer doesn't understand government. He believes in the rule of lawyers, not the rule of law,' she said.
Mrs Badenoch has previously suggested the UK would have to leave the ECHR if it stops the country from doing 'what is right'.
She had earlier accused Lord Hermer of 'starting from a position of self loathing, where Britain is always wrong and everyone else is right'.
In a post on social media, she said: 'The fact is laws go bad and need changing, institutions get corrupted. Our sovereignty is being eroded by out-of-date treaties and courts acting outside their jurisdiction.
'Pointing this out does not make anyone a Nazi. Labour have embarrassed themselves again with this comparison and unless the Prime Minister demands a retraction from his Attorney General, we can only assume these slurs reflect Keir Starmer's own view.'
In his same speech to the Royal United Services Institute on Thursday, the Attorney General said 'we must not stagnate in our approach to international rules' and that officials should 'look to apply and adapt existing obligations to address new situations'.
'We must be ready to reform where necessary,' he added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Tories will join with rebel Labour MPs and vote AGAINST welfare cuts to try to defeat Keir Starmer
TORY leader Kemi Badenoch will attempt to inflict a humiliating defeat on Sir Keir Starmer by ordering her MPs to vote against the sickness welfare cuts. The Conservatives will team up with Labour rebels in a bid to defeat the package, which is expected to shave £5billion off the bloated benefits bill. 1 Around 100 Labour MPs have signed a letter to Sir Keir warning that they will not support his cuts when the vote comes before Parliament later this month. The PM has a working majority of 165, while the Tories have 120 MPs. It means that if the Conservatives team up with a large band of Labour rebels they could inflict a defeat. The Tories will oppose the plans on the basis that the cuts do not go far enough. A government source said: 'We could lose the vote if the Tories team up with Labour MPs to vote against the measures. "The rebellion is going to be awful. There will be MPs in tears. It will breed some real resentment towards No10 and it could even cause a permanent rift.' Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has claimed the reforms will get more people into work and protect the benefits system. Speaking earlier this month, she said: 'Unless we reform the system to help those who can work to do so, unless we get social security spending on a more sustainable footing . . .the risk is the welfare state won't be there for people who really need it in future.' Britain's welfare bill has ballooned since Covid. According to official estimates, taxpayers will have to pay a staggering £70billion a year on working-age sickness and disability benefits by 2030.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Farage would plunge UK into 'Liz Truss doom loop' - 10 times he praised ex-PM
The Reform UK leader has repeatedly heaped praise upon the former Tory PM - whose disastrous mini-budget crashed the economy and sent mortgages spiralling Nigel Farage would lock Britain into a "Truss-style doom loop", Labour warned last night. The Reform UK leader has repeatedly heaped praise upon the former Tory PM - whose disastrous mini-budget crashed the economy and sent mortgages spiralling. And today Labour' chair Ellie Reeves accused Reform of plotting £80billion of unfunded spending commitments - and said Mr Farage's poor judgement was "crystal clear." "Praising Liz Truss once could have been a mistake," she told the Mirror. "But the evidence shows he's a Trussite and now wants to inflict her economic chaos on Britain once again." On the day of Ms Truss' mini-budget, September 23 2022, Mr Farage declared it "the best Conservative budget since 1986." And even a year on - after the full damage caused by the mini-budget was clear, Mr Farage continued to praise its architect. "I absolutely, 100% believe in her," he declared in an article about an event she held at the 2023 Tory conference. He said there was much to "admire" about Ms Truss not being afraid to "fight for radical change". And as recently as May, he failed to include Ms Truss in a list of Tory leaders who "broke Britain" in a Reform party leaflet. Ms Reeves added: "It turns out the only way Reform want to reform our economy is by locking us into a Truss-style doom loop, with working people picking up the bill." 10 times Nigel Farage praised Liz Truss 'Today was the best Conservative budget since 1986' - X, 23 September 2022. 'This is the Great British growth rally, starring Liz Truss ... there is a genuine buzz here ... even more importantly, it's the message. It's about helping small business, reducing taxes, and actually getting growth ... I've got to tell you, this is more exciting than anything happening in the conference hall - Youtube, 2 October 2023. 'I absolutely, 100 per cent believe in her', said Nigel Farage, speaking about Liz Truss at Tory Party Conference in 2023 - Telegraph, 2 October 2023. 'In rhetorical terms, I loved it…it was all there…if this was the first, not the thirteenth year of Conservative government, I would have given it three cheers', Farage wrote about one of Liz Truss' speeches as Prime Minister - Telegraph, 5 October 2022. Mr Farage said, of Truss's mini-budget, "Kwarteng was right to cut taxes. Of course, he was right. Right to set up investments zones…and yes, taking a risk - increasing borrowing to do it.' - Express, 29 September 2022. 'Thank goodness Liz Truss now backs onshore gas exploration. She is miles better than Johnson already" - X, 8 April 2022. 'Interesting Daily Mail campaign on VAT-free shopping for tourists. Kwasi wanted to do that. He and Truss did have some good ideas' - X, 24 April 2023. 'Farage said there was much to 'admire' about how Truss was not afraid to 'fight for radical change' ... I think this woman has shown - in some areas - she is prepared to show up, take the abuse and fight for radical change and that I do admire.' - HuffPost, 2 October 2023. 'Truss may well have been a late convert to all of this but hey that's what she stood up and said so I welcomed much of the budget.' - YouTube, 8 February 2023. Failed to include Liz Truss in a list of Tory leaders who 'broke Britain', suggesting he backs her disastrous policy platform - HuffPost, 13 May 2025.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Calls for Lord Hermer to quit over role in Lucy Connolly prosecution
On Saturday night, Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack his legal chief, saying: 'His judgment is a national embarrassment. After Southport, facts were buried while ministers ranted about far-Right thugs. 'Starmer should sack Hermer, or admit he's not really in charge. It speaks volumes that our Attorney General is content to keep people like Lucy Connolly behind bars for a tweet as violent criminals are released early.' 'Connolly should never have been prosecuted' Suella Braverman, who served as attorney general between 2021 and 2022, said: 'Lucy Connolly should never have been prosecuted, and should now be freed from prison. The charges brought against her were not in the public interest, and if I was attorney general I would not have granted consent to prosecute. 'The CPS has a woeful track record of prosecuting rapists and domestic abusers, yet the Attorney General considered Lucy's Twitter post sufficiently serious to justify prosecution. The Government is recklessly letting out dangerous criminals early, yet this Attorney General thought the costs and resources required to prosecute Lucy for her message were proportionate. 'This Attorney General is enforcing two-tier Britain under two-tier Keir. No wonder the UK has become a global byword for free speech in crisis, our reputation tarnished by political prosecutions and lawfare.' Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Lord Hermer has shown consistently poor judgment in a number of areas. 'From cheerleading the Chagos Islands giveaway to smearing political opponents as Nazis, it is quite clear he is not an appropriate person to serve as Attorney General and should be removed. 'No one condones the contents of Lucy Connolly's post, but her two and a half year prison sentence seems duly harsh given that people who commit actual acts of violence receive far lower sentences.' Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, told The Telegraph: 'Lord Hermer sums up Starmer's Government. A group of detached two-tier human right lawyers. No wonder the public have given up on them all.' Attorney General consent for prosecution Connolly was jailed for inciting racial hatred, which is an offence under the Public Order Act (1986). That offence, along with 60 others, requires that the Attorney General give their consent to any prosecutions. The requirement was designed to act as a safeguard to prevent the criminal justice system unreasonably clamping down on free speech, The Telegraph understands. When deciding whether or not to give consent for a prosecution, the Attorney General must first determine whether a conviction is likely and if so, if it would be in the public interest, it is understood. Across last year, the Attorney General was presented with 32 prosecutions to consider relating to the offence of inciting racial hatred – 17 of which were to do with the Southport riots. It is rare for the Attorney General to refuse to give consent because, by the time it reaches their office, the Crown Prosecution Service will have itself determined that a successful prosecution is likely, it is understood. Last September, Connolly pleaded guilty to writing a social media post intended to stir up racial hatred to her 10,000 followers on X on the evening after three children were murdered in a knife attack in Southport. She wrote: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f---ing hotels full of the b------s for all I care, while you're at it take the treacherous government politicians with them. I feel physically sick knowing what these [Southport] families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist, so be it.' Following the peak of the disorder in August, Lord Hermer described the jailing of individuals advocating for attacks on migrant hotels as 'a stark warning that you cannot hide behind your keyboard'.
