Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart has backed Nigel Farage’s ten-minute rule bill calling for the UK to withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The symbolic vote, tabled by the Reform UK leader, reignited the debate over whether Britain should leave the Strasbourg-based court to regain full control of immigration and asylum policy.
In a short video posted on social media, Graham said: “I’ve just voted with Nigel Farage and the ten-minute rule bill to leave the ECHR. In my case, I regret that it’s necessary, but it is necessary to make sure that we control our borders and that our institutions respond to the democratic will.”
He added that he would “work with any part, Lib Dems, Greens or Reform — if it’s in the interest of the people of Beverley and Holderness,” stressing that his decision was made “to do what is best for Britain.”
The bill was eventually rejected in the Commons, but it drew attention for showing how the issue is cutting across traditional party lines.
The government has faced pressure from Reform UK and parts of the Conservative right to consider withdrawal from the ECHR, arguing that its rulings have constrained attempts to tighten border control. Labour and most Conservative MPs opposed the move, warning that leaving the court could undermine human-rights protections and damage Britain’s international standing.
Graham’s intervention aligns him with a growing number of MPs calling for a break from the convention.