In response to the Home Secretary’s speech at the Conservative Party conference today, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

“Suella Braverman’s speech was frighteningly anti-human rights and offered a vision of a Britain which rides roughshod over our basic rights and freedoms. 

“Threats to weaken the Modern Slavery Act and human rights laws, to double down on the unlawful Rwanda deal and bar anyone crossing the Channel from sanctuary in the UK, would be a shocking failure to behave lawfully let alone with compassion.

“The draconian Public Order Bill will introduce yet more restrictions on the right to peaceful protest, with protest banning orders and widespread stop-and-search powers even without suspicion - doing serious damage to any reputation the UK has for upholding the rule of law and protecting free speech. 

“Instead of defending the completely discredited Prevent programme, Braverman should be working on measures that can restore confidence and trust in all our communities.

“The Home Secretary’s suggestion that the UK should fail to comply with the European Court of Human Rights is dangerously discreditable, would reduce people’s rights and damage the international human rights system as a whole.

“Overall, it looks as if the cruelty and intolerance of recent Home Office policy on asylum, policing and the right to protest are set to intensify under Braverman’s stewardship.”