Sadiq Khan said the ECHR was why we had free speech. (Image: GLA)
Sadiq Khan has sparked backlash after appearing to claim that the Britons owe their right to free speech to the European Convention on Human Rights.
Speaking to the London Assembly, the Labour Mayor said: “It's great that the Conservative Party now supports the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 10, freedom of expression.”
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
DON'T MISS
Powered by
EXPOSED: Starmer wrote the ECHR manual blocking Britain from deporting boat migrants
Fury as Labour law chief Lord Hermer insists UK must stay in ECHR
Reform UK's bombshell plan to help Britain leave hated European court
Graham Linehan's arrest and why Keir Starmer can't afford to be blissfully unaware
Reform bombshell as 2 more Tories spark defection rumours before press conference
‘Disgusting!' John McDonnell slammed for comparing Nigel Farage to Hitler
Labour poised for ECHR change as Starmer scrambles over immigration
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
New Labour Home Secretary makes shocking admission as migrant crossings surge past 30,000
Labour's major blunder is a 'massive beacon that our door is open' to illegal migrants
London Tube drivers would be ditched under bombshell plans as Sadiq Khan slammed
Suella Braverman demands Tories commit to leaving the ECHR NOW to end migrant farce
Three reasons panicking Labour has fallen into a trap set by Nigel Farage
Keir Starmer tells police to focus on real crimes after Graham Linehan arrest
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Watchdog admits police 'getting it wrong' on freedom of speech after Graham Linehan arrest
Met Police boss breaks silence with pop at ministers after Father Ted creator arrest
Boris Johnson rages at Keir Starmer over 'slow-motion disaster' in free speech outburst
GB News migrant report sparks furious backlash: 'Utter insanity'
Keir Starmer reported to court for ‘crimes against humanity' over Chagos surrender
EXPOSED: Starmer wrote the ECHR manual blocking Britain from deporting boat migrants
Fury as Labour law chief Lord Hermer insists UK must stay in ECHR
Reform UK's bombshell plan to help Britain leave hated European court
Graham Linehan's arrest and why Keir Starmer can't afford to be blissfully unaware
Reform bombshell as 2 more Tories spark defection rumours before press conference
‘Disgusting!' John McDonnell slammed for comparing Nigel Farage to Hitler
Labour poised for ECHR change as Starmer scrambles over immigration
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
New Labour Home Secretary makes shocking admission as migrant crossings surge past 30,000
Labour's major blunder is a 'massive beacon that our door is open' to illegal migrants
London Tube drivers would be ditched under bombshell plans as Sadiq Khan slammed
Suella Braverman demands Tories commit to leaving the ECHR NOW to end migrant farce
Three reasons panicking Labour has fallen into a trap set by Nigel Farage
Keir Starmer tells police to focus on real crimes after Graham Linehan arrest
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Watchdog admits police 'getting it wrong' on freedom of speech after Graham Linehan arrest
Met Police boss breaks silence with pop at ministers after Father Ted creator arrest
Boris Johnson rages at Keir Starmer over 'slow-motion disaster' in free speech outburst
GB News migrant report sparks furious backlash: 'Utter insanity'
Keir Starmer reported to court for ‘crimes against humanity' over Chagos surrender
EXPOSED: Starmer wrote the ECHR manual blocking Britain from deporting boat migrants
Fury as Labour law chief Lord Hermer insists UK must stay in ECHR
Reform UK's bombshell plan to help Britain leave hated European court
Graham Linehan's arrest and why Keir Starmer can't afford to be blissfully unaware
Reform bombshell as 2 more Tories spark defection rumours before press conference
‘Disgusting!' John McDonnell slammed for comparing Nigel Farage to Hitler
Labour poised for ECHR change as Starmer scrambles over immigration
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
New Labour Home Secretary makes shocking admission as migrant crossings surge past 30,000
Labour's major blunder is a 'massive beacon that our door is open' to illegal migrants
London Tube drivers would be ditched under bombshell plans as Sadiq Khan slammed
Suella Braverman demands Tories commit to leaving the ECHR NOW to end migrant farce
Three reasons panicking Labour has fallen into a trap set by Nigel Farage
Keir Starmer tells police to focus on real crimes after Graham Linehan arrest
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Watchdog admits police 'getting it wrong' on freedom of speech after Graham Linehan arrest
Met Police boss breaks silence with pop at ministers after Father Ted creator arrest
Boris Johnson rages at Keir Starmer over 'slow-motion disaster' in free speech outburst
GB News migrant report sparks furious backlash: 'Utter insanity'
Keir Starmer reported to court for ‘crimes against humanity' over Chagos surrender
He added, in response to a question from a Tory member: “Let's be frank, it's because we are signatories to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights [...] that protects the right she wants to exercise.”
Khan's remarks caused a flood of anger across Westminster, as Tory and Reform MPs lined up to condemn the Mayor.
Read more: ECHR delivered 'fatal blow' to Rwanda migrant flights and UK faces 'crisis'
Read more: Met Police boss breaks silence with pop at ministers after Father Ted arrest
Read more: Labour minister skewered by GB News star in 'hypocritical' free speech row
Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary and Conservative MP said that the Mayor was "embarrassingly wrong”, adding that “Britain did not need a European treaty to discover liberty, we invented it.”
Sponsored
Get Offer
A 70-year-old Grandmother Designed a Bra for Women That is Popular All over.
Undo
Mr Philp said that Britain “gave the world parliamentary democracy, a free press, and the right to speak your mind without fear of government reprisal.”
He slammed Khan, who is Police and Crime Commissioner for London, saying that “under Khan’s watch [...] five armed officers were dispatched to arrest a comedian at an airport for tweets. That is his record on free speech.”
Philp was referring to the arrest of Father Ted creator, Graham Linehan, who was met by armed police when leaving a plane at a major London airport.
Speaking to the Express, Philp continued, saying: “Free speech in Britain was hard won through centuries of struggle and reform. It was enshrined in law and defended in our courts long before the ECHR even existed.”
The Shadow Home Secretary accused the Mayor of insulting the legacy of the fight for freedom of expression in the UK, and said that the Mayor's comments proved “how quick Labour politicians are to outsource our rights to foreign courts rather than trusting Britain’s own proud institutions.”
Sadiq Khan quizzed on free speech
0 seconds of 26 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ?
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9
Next Up
Sadiq Khan quizzed by pensioner on future of free bus passes
02:00
x facebook Email
Linkhttps://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/5BPJ2p6o
Copied
Auto360p1080p720p540p360p270p180p
Live
00:04
00:22
00:26
More Videos
02:00
Sadiq Khan quizzed by pensioner on future of free bus passes
02:00
Sadiq Khan quizzed by pensioner on future of free bus passes
02:00
Sadiq Khan quizzed by pensioner on future of free bus passes
02:00
Sadiq Khan quizzed by pensioner on future of free bus passes
01:10
Sadiq Khan's quizzed on his call for second referendum
01:22
Sadiq Khan quizzed on his calls for further London restrictions
Close
Reform piled on the pressure as well, with Lee Anderson MP saying: “It is not the ECHR that gives us freedom of expression or any of our freedoms. It's people like my late grandad Charles William Waterfield who spent 4 years fighting the Nazis in North Africa and Italy.”
Anderson added that “Mayor Khan has no idea about the sacrifices made by our grandparents 80 years ago. Britain has a long and proud history of free speech that predates the ECHR.”
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Labour poised for ECHR change as Starmer scrambles over immigration
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
New Labour Home Secretary makes shocking admission as migrant crossings surge past 30,000
Labour's major blunder is a 'massive beacon that our door is open' to illegal migrants
London Tube drivers would be ditched under bombshell plans as Sadiq Khan slammed
Suella Braverman demands Tories commit to leaving the ECHR NOW to end migrant farce
Three reasons panicking Labour has fallen into a trap set by Nigel Farage
Keir Starmer tells police to focus on real crimes after Graham Linehan arrest
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Watchdog admits police 'getting it wrong' on freedom of speech after Graham Linehan arrest
Met Police boss breaks silence with pop at ministers after Father Ted creator arrest
Boris Johnson rages at Keir Starmer over 'slow-motion disaster' in free speech outburst
GB News migrant report sparks furious backlash: 'Utter insanity'
Keir Starmer reported to court for ‘crimes against humanity' over Chagos surrender
How The Body Warns You That Memory Is FadingCG |
Learn More
Undo
EXPOSED: Starmer wrote the ECHR manual blocking Britain from deporting boat migrants
Fury as Labour law chief Lord Hermer insists UK must stay in ECHR
Why Living Alone After 65 Affects Your MindBrain Health |
Learn More
Undo
Reform UK's bombshell plan to help Britain leave hated European court
Graham Linehan's arrest and why Keir Starmer can't afford to be blissfully unaware
MD: If You Have Dark Spots, Do This Immediately (It's Genius!)Gundry MD |
Learn More
Undo
Reform bombshell as 2 more Tories spark defection rumours before press conference
‘Disgusting!' John McDonnell slammed for comparing Nigel Farage to Hitler
Doctor Says, "If You Have Uneven Skin or Blotchy Patches, Do This Immediate...Gundry MD |
Learn More
Undo
Labour poised for ECHR change as Starmer scrambles over immigration
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
Here’s The Gutter Guard Price On A 2,000 Sq Ft HomeHomebuddy |
Get Quote
Undo
New Labour Home Secretary makes shocking admission as migrant crossings surge past 30,000
Labour's major blunder is a 'massive beacon that our door is open' to illegal migrants
Dementia Has Been Linked To A Comm on Food - Do You Eat It?CG |
Learn More
Undo
London Tube drivers would be ditched under bombshell plans as Sadiq Khan slammed
Suella Braverman demands Tories commit to leaving the ECHR NOW to end migrant farce
MD: Building Muscle After 60 Comes Down To This 1 Thingprimenutritionsecrets |
Undo
Three reasons panicking Labour has fallen into a trap set by Nigel Farage
Keir Starmer tells police to focus on real crimes after Graham Linehan arrest
How The Body Warns You That Memory Is FadingCG |
Learn More
Undo
Asylum hotel row erupts as Labour try to 'bury the truth' about costs
Watchdog admits police 'getting it wrong' on freedom of speech after Graham Linehan arrest
Here’s What US Homeowners Pay For Leaf-Free GuttersHomebuddy |
Get Quote
Undo
Met Police boss breaks silence with pop at ministers after Father Ted creator arrest
Boris Johnson rages at Keir Starmer over 'slow-motion disaster' in free speech outburst
MD: If You Have Dark Spots, Do This Immediately (It's Genius!)Gundry MD |
Learn More
Undo
GB News migrant report sparks furious backlash: 'Utter insanity'
Keir Starmer reported to court for ‘crimes against humanity' over Chagos surrender
EXPOSED: Starmer wrote the ECHR manual blocking Britain from deporting boat migrants
Fury as Labour law chief Lord Hermer insists UK must stay in ECHR
Reform UK's bombshell plan to help Britain leave hated European court
Graham Linehan's arrest and why Keir Starmer can't afford to be blissfully unaware
Reform bombshell as 2 more Tories spark defection rumours before press conference
‘Disgusting!' John McDonnell slammed for comparing Nigel Farage to Hitler
Labour poised for ECHR change as Starmer scrambles over immigration
Europe finally listening and calling for Britain to 'lead' ECHR reforms
New Labour Home Secretary makes shocking admission as migrant crossings surge past 30,000
Labour's major blunder is a 'massive beacon that our door is open' to illegal migrants
London Tube drivers would be ditched under bombshell plans as Sadiq Khan slammed
Suella Braverman demands Tories commit to leaving the ECHR NOW to end migrant farce
Three reasons panicking Labour has fallen into a trap set by Nigel Farage
Doctor Says, "If You Have Uneven Skin or Blotc...Gundry MD
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Here’s The Gutter Guard Price On A 2,000 Sq Ft...Homebuddy
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
Dementia Has Been Linked To A Common Food...CG
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
MD: Building Muscle After 60 Comes Down To...primenutritionsecrets
Undo
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links
He described the ECHR as “nothing but an obstacle to protecting our borders and deporting those who have no right to be here.” and said that the ECHR’s position on deportations was “probably exactly the reason Sadiq defends it so vehemently.”
Anderson reiterated the Reform Party's policies to “scrap [the ECHR] entirely, so we can take back control of our borders and restore safety to our streets.”
The row comes as nationwide debate grows over whether or not the UK should remain a signatory to the Convention.
Read next
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy