Nigel Farage loses major vote as he's accused of 'making career by damaging Britain'
Nigel Farage's call for the UK to leave the European Convention for Human Rights (ECHR) was voted down by MPs, with Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey branding it "un-British"
Nigel Farage failed in his bid to tear up laws which MPs heard protect ordinary Brits from abuses of power.
In a blistering attack by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, the Reform leader was accused of "making his career by damaging this country" and pandering to Donald Trump. Mr Farage put forward a Bill demanding the UK withdraws from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) which was defeated in a Commons showdown.
Sir Ed warned that doing as Mr Farage wished would strip away the rights to tackle injustice from ordinary citizens. He told the Commons: "When people died because of poor care at Stafford Hospital, their families secured change because of these laws. And when British troops died in Iraq because of poor equipment the Supreme Court ruled that the government was accountable because of these laws.
"After 96 people were killed in the Hillsborough disaster, and the victims themselves were blamed, their families finally got the truth because of these laws.
"And when the Metropolitan Police failed to properly investigate the horrific assaults of (serial rapist) John Worboys, his victims were able to take the police to court because of these laws. And time and again, the European Convention and its British twin, the Human Rights Act, have brought justice for our people, protected them from gross misconduct and unfair treatment.
"These laws help individuals hold the powerful to account, to hold governments to account. These laws can get justice when the elite and powerful cover up and abuse their power."
He went on: "If we do what reform wants, the biggest cheers will come from the Kremlin and from Beijing, from Tehran, from Pyongyang, and from dictators and authoritarian regimes the world over."
The Lib Dem leader went on: "The honorable gentleman (Mr Farage) has made his career by damaging our country and our interests. Remember how he led the campaign for Brexit with his conservative friends? And we know what a total mess that's turned out to be."
He told MPs: "Brexit made the small boats crisis possible." In his 10 minute response Sir Ed accused Reform of trying to follow US President Trump's attacks on the judiciary.
He said: "Donald Trump is doing the same in America, attacking the courts and the rule of law, even inciting a violent mob against the US Congress to overturn an election. But of course, the honorable member for Clacton has called President Trump an inspiration.
"So if you want to know the member for Clacton's intentions for British people's basic rights and freedoms, just look at Putin's Russia or Trump's America.
"Madam Deputy Speaker, that isn't patriotic. It is deeply un-British. He should be ashamed. Unlike the honorable member for Clacton, I am proud of our country."
He pointed out that Russia under Vladimir Putin is the only country to have withdrawn from the ECHR, stating: "Now, maybe that's what attracts the honorable gentleman for Clacton to it."
The Bill was voted down by a majority of 154 to 96. Putting his case forward Mr Farage said anger is "growing in the country" and said: "I do not believe that it is right that we should when it comes to controlling our borders - when it comes to who should be able legally to live, work and settle in this country, or indeed who should not be allowed to stay in our country - for this to be under the remit, firstly, of judges in Strasbourg, who, by the way, are jurists, most of them not even legally qualified, and secondly, under the political control of judges in this country who now can make their own interpretation of what we've understood for many, many years to be British common law."
He claimed it would bring back control to Parliament.