Latest news with #Hermer
Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Did No. 10 clear Lord Hermer's ‘Nazi jibe' speech?
Another day, another bit of bad press for the Labour party. Attorney General Lord Hermer sparked outrage when he compared political threats to leave the ECHR to the Nazis during a speech to the Royal Institute for International Affairs (RUSI) defence think tank on Thursday – and has since acknowledged, rather begrudgingly, that his 'choice of words was clumsy'. You don't say! Mr S is rather curious about who exactly gave the rather controversial phraseology the green light – if it was approved at all. The speech appeared on the official government website after it was delivered, with the Attorney General's baffling comparison retained in black and white. The questionable passage reads:
Rhyl Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
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… — 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Minister regrets 'clumsy' reference to Nazi Germany
The attorney general has said he regrets "clumsy" remarks in which he compared calls for the UK to depart from international law and arguments made in 1930s Germany. In a speech on Thursday, Lord Hermer criticised politicians who argue the UK should abandon "the constraints of international law in favour of raw power". He said similar claims had been made by legal theorists in Germany in the years before the Nazis came to power. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused him of "calling people who disagree with him Nazis," and urged the prime minister to sack him. A spokesperson for Lord Hermer said he rejected "the characterisation of his speech by the Conservatives". But they added the Labour peer "acknowledges though that his choice of words was clumsy and regrets having used this reference". They added that the speech was aimed at "defending international law which underpins our security, protects against threats from aggressive states like Russia and helps tackle organised immigration crime". In a speech at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, Lord Hermer said the Labour government wanted to combine a "pragmatic approach to the UK's national interests with a principled commitment to a rules-based international order". He said the approach was "a rejection of the siren song that can sadly now be heard in the Palace of Westminster, and in some spectrums of the media, that Britain abandons the constraints of international law in favour of raw power". Lord Hermer added: "This is not a new song. "The claim that international law is fine as far as it goes, but can be put aside when conditions change, is a claim that was made in the early 1930s by 'realist' jurists in Germany, most notably Carl Schmitt, whose central thesis was in essence the claim that state power is all that counts, not law. "Because of the experience of what followed in 1933, far-sighted individuals rebuilt and transformed the institutions of international law, as well as internal constitutional law." Adolf Hitler became German chancellor in 1933. Carl Schmitt, a German legal scholar, was a supporter of the Nazi Party who sought to justify Hitler's policies in his writings on legal and political theory. The Conservatives and Reform UK have been critical of some elements of international law and the courts that enforce it. For example, some politicians from these parties have called for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), an international treaty which sets out the rights and freedoms people are entitled to in signatory countries, including the UK. Critics of the ECHR say it hampers the UK's ability to deal with migration issues, including deporting people who cross the English Channel on small boats. Badenoch, who has previously suggested the UK would have to leave the ECHR if it stops the country from doing "what is right", said Lord Hermer had shown "appalling judgement" in his speech. "Now he's calling people who disagree with him Nazis," she added. "This isn't just embarrassing, it's dangerous. Hermer doesn't understand government. "If Keir Starmer had any backbone, he'd sack him." Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice said Lord Hermer should apologise. "If anyone on the right of politics used his language, there would be outrage," Tice posted on social media. "He has shown himself as unfit to be attorney general."
Western Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
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… — 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.
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Richard Hermer backs down after comparing Tories and Reform to Nazis
Richard Hermer KC, who is Attorney General is the UK Government's top legal officer, made the comparisons during a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on Thursday. Speaking about the 'role of the law and the international rules-based order', Hermer said Labour's approach was the 'rejection of the siren song, that can sadly, now be heard in the Palace of Westminster, and in some spectrums of the media, that Britain abandons the constraints of international law in favour of raw power'. READ MORE: Gerry Adams wins €100k in libel trial as jury finds BBC 'did not act in good faith' He went on: 'This is not a new song. The claim that international law is fine as far as it goes, but can be put aside when conditions change, is a claim that was made in the early 1930s by 'realist' jurists in Germany most notably Carl Schmitt, whose central thesis was in essence the claim that state power is all that counts, not law. 'Because of the experience of what followed in 1933, far-sighted individuals rebuilt and transformed the institutions of international law, as well as internal constitutional law.' Schmitt was a prominent Nazi theorist and supported the rise of Adolf Hitler during the 1930s. Hermer's words have been widely read as an attack on Nigel Farage and Reform UK, although prominent Conservatives have also openly called for the UK to retreat from international legal agreements such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Tory leader Kemi BadenochThe current Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has herself stopped short of calling for the UK to leave the ECHR. However, she suggested the UK would have to leave the convention if it stops the country from doing 'what is right'. Farage has said he would get rid of the ECHR, and told ITV in April that 'we have to get back the ability to decide, can we really control our borders'. Right-wing UK newspapers and media outlets have also supported calls to leave the ECHR. READ MORE: 'Unacceptable': SNP call out BBC over by-election programme On Friday, Hermer's spokesperson said the Labour minister regretted making the comparison to Nazi Germany. '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,' they said. '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.'
