Human rights official says politicians are playing into the hands of the populist right as they seek to tackle migration Keir Starmer and Europe’s hardline governments risk creating a “hierarchy of people” as they seek to address migration by curbing fundamental rights, Europe’s most senior human rights official has said. Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, said that “middle-of the road politicians” are playing into the hands of the populist right. Continue reading...

Exclusive: PM calls for members of European convention on human rights to allow tougher action to protect borders * We must protect our borders to defend our democracies – and that means the ECHR must change Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently update joint human rights laws so that member states can take tougher action to protect their borders and see off the rise of the populist right across the continent. Before a crucial European summit on Wednesday, the prime minister urged fellow members to “go further” in modernising the European convention on human rights (ECHR) to prevent asylum seekers using it to avoid deportation. Continue reading...