Thank you for contacting me about the proposed reform of the Human Rights Act. I share your concerns about the Government’s proposals to overhaul the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 and I can confirm that I will strongly oppose any attempts to replace it.

I am proud that in 1998, the Labour Government introduced the HRA, which brings important rights home, giving our most vulnerable citizens a powerful means of redress. It protects the powerless against the might of the strong and the dictates of the State. That is why I robustly defend the HRA, as well as Britain’s continued membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

I urge Ministers to listen to the concerns of lawyers, academics and human rights groups who responded to its recent consultation process about human rights reform.

Likewise I am deeply concerned about the proposed Brexit Freedom Bill. It is a completely redundant Bill, as the Tories cannot point to a single example where regulatory changes depend on the passage of the planned Brexit Freedoms Bill. Nor can they provide a single example of additional changes which will follow in due course as a result of this new Bill.

Therefore I am rightly cautious based on this Governments track record that these Bills will be used as a hidden mechanism to fast-track changes that would impinge on the devolution of powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, or threaten the workers’ rights, environmental protections, or food standards that the British people were promised would be maintained post-Brexit.

Therefore I believe that the Government should instead focus on restoring confidence in our justice system, rather than making changes to the Human Rights Act. I can assure you that I will be watching developments on this matter very closely.