FOLLOWING a debate at Stroud District Council on whether the Human Rights Act should be scrapped Labour councillors have criticised their Conservative counterparts for voting in support of getting rid of it.

All Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat councillors voted in support of retaining the act whilst all Conservatives voted in favour of scrapping it at a meeting earlier this month.

“The Human Rights Act (HRA) has a positive impact on the protection of rights for all individuals living in Stroud District,” said Steve Lydon (Labour, The Stanleys), as he seconded the motion put forward at the Council meeting by John Marjoram (Green, Trinity).

“The Tories have always tried to convince people that human rights are a bad thing,” added Cllr Lydon, “but the HRA says that every individual should have the basic rights to education, to justice, to a decent home as well as the right not to be tortured or imprisoned without a trial etc.

“At a time when we have a Tory Home Secretary who is prepared to misrepresent the HRA by repeating false allegations made by the media, it is all the more important to maintain the protection given via the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Conservative councillors at the meeting said that the government’s intention to replace the HRA with a British Bill of Rights would provide the same protection and that they had a mandate to do so as the plan was in their manifesto.

Cllr Nigel Prenter (Labour, Rodborough), added that since the people of Scotland supported the European Convention on Human Rights, repealing the HRA would drive a further wedge between the peoples of the UK.