Political opinion with Cllr Duncan Crow: Do our laws and treaties serve our country well?

I believe that better policy is made when all the evidence is carefully examined and then presented, to form a considered view one way or another. This is why as leader of a serious political party, Kemi Badenoch is taking a sensible approach so that major future policy decisions are based on evidence and sound reasoning.

I share concerns that our legal system places too much emphasis on the rights of criminals and those committing anti-social behaviour, while victims struggle to see justice being done. While most of us are law-abiding, it can feel like some people can get away with not following the rules. This ends up undermining trust in the system.

We need to ensure that our laws and treaties serve our country and not the lawyers. The Conservatives’ Lawfare Commission will carefully judge our membership of the ECHR against these five simple tests:

• The Deportation Test: Can Parliament control who comes to the UK and who stays? Can we lawfully remove foreign criminals and illegal immigrants to their home country or elsewhere even if they have family here or claim they could be at risk if sent home?
• The Veterans Test: Can we stop our veterans being endlessly pursued by vexatious legal attacks? And can we make sure our military can fight a future war without one hand tied behind their backs?
• The Fairness Test: Can British citizens be given priority for social housing and public services?
• The Justice Test: Can prison sentences reflect the intentions of Parliament? Can we stop the disruptive protests which block roads and emergency services without being told it’s ‘disproportionate'?
• The Prosperity Test: Can we prevent legal delays to infrastructure and regain control of planning?

Let’s get this right and if we are going to advocate leaving the ECHR, provide the evidence to make that case.