Cooper’s Lawyers Argue Migrant ECHR Rights Trump Epping Locals – Guido Fawkes

Cooper’s Lawyers Argue Migrant ECHR Rights Trump Epping Locals

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The Home Office is appealing the High Court injunction to block asylum seekers from being housed in the Bell Hotel in Epping. Yvette Cooper’s lawyers are leaning on the ECHR as their get-out-of-jail-free card…

In documents submitted to the court, Home Office lawyers said:

“Epping represents the public interest that subsists in planning control in its local area. The [Home Secretary’s] statutory duty is a manifestation of the United Kingdom’s obligations under Article 3 ECHR [European Convention on Human Rights], which establishes non derogable fundamental human rights.”

Epping Council lawyers argue:

“Parliament [has not] decreed that the public interest in accommodating asylum seekers trumps the public interest in maintaining planning control.“

They claim Cooper is putting rights of asylum seekers over those of the locals…

Meanwhile, a Labour split on the ECHR is quietly simmering. Labour Red Wall Group leader Jo White has joined Labour MP Jack Straw in urging Starmer to decouple from the international court. If Cooper successfully leverages the ECHR to overturn the ruling blocking migrants from staying in the hotel, it won’t make life any easier for No10…

The hearing is currently broken for lunch, and returns at 2pm. Watch it live here…