European countries are hoping Britain can play a “leading role” in reforming human rights laws, Shabana Mahmood has claimed.
The new Home Secretary said the “debate” on the continent “is starting to change” after years of Britain being “a little bit more isolated in trying to make” the case for change. Ms Mahmood has previously warned there is “no hope, for anybody”, if supports of the ECHR refuse to consider reforms.
She told broadcasters on Monday: “Other countries are struggling with the challenges of mass migration, maintaining our borders, and I think that this is a useful time for us to have a refreshed conversation, and I’m confident we can make more progress.
“The debate in Europe is starting to change. Other countries are actually trying to have this conversation around reform of the convention. That’s not been the case previously, where maybe Britain was seen as more of a lone operator, a little bit more isolated in trying to make that case.
“I was very struck when I visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg just a couple of months or so ago how much other people wanted to talk to me about Britain playing the leading role in that discussion around reform of the convention. I’m very happy to step into that space. I think that we can play a good role in moving those conversations along.
“So, I think we’re not isolated. Other countries are struggling with the challenges of mass migration, maintaining our borders, and I think that this is a useful time for us to have a refreshed conversation, and I’m confident we can make more progress.”
Ms Mahmood is expected to rewrite human rights laws to prevent foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers from avoiding deportation.
She is set to tighten up “the interpretation and the application” of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to a family life.
This could be done in the form of new guidance or even legislation.
The new Home Secretary last week warned that British judges are taking a “maximalist” approach to the European Convention on Human Rights.
And ministers are widely expected to try and make the UK less attractive to illegal migrants.
This could be through the form of digital ID cards.
Ms Mahmood told broadcasters: “My long-term personal political view has always been in favour of ID cards.
“In fact, I supported the last Labour government’s introduction of ID cards. The first Bill I spoke on in Parliament was the ID cards Bill, which the then Conservative-Lib Dem coalition scrapped.”
She added: “I have a longstanding position of my own, which those who are familiar with my political track record will know that that is something that I’ve always supported.
“My other colleagues in Government have started this conversation about how we might roll out more digital ID.
“As Home Secretary, I’m very clear we do have to deal with the pull factors that are making the UK a destination of choice for those that are on the move around the world, and I want to make sure that we can clamp down on that.
“I think that a system of digital ID can also help with illegal working enforcement of other laws as well. So, there is a broader piece of work here to be done by government, but I do think that that has a role to play for dealing with our migration.”
Asked whether this could include compulsory ID cards, she said: “The Government’s position at the moment is to look at digital ID, further rollout. I’ll obviously be discussing that with my colleagues, some of whom are also, like me, new to the role, but we will be setting out our plans in the very near future about how we want to deal with the pull factors.”
Some 1,097 migrants crossed the Channel in 17 boats on Saturday, bringing the total in 2025 to 30,100, Home Office figures show.
This is up 37% on this point last year (22,028) and 37% higher than at this stage in 2023 (21,918).
Reform has already pledged to leave the ECHR entirely, along with other international conventions it regards as preventing “mass deportations”, while Kemi Badenoch has asked her shadow attorney general to examine the practicalities of leaving ahead of the Conservative Party conference next month.
But Ms Mahmood reiterated that Labour would not be looking to leave the Convention, saying this would have “other consequences that we think are not in our national interest”.
