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61% of voters want out of human rights treaty
Last updated at 23:52pm on 22.07.07
A promise by Tony Blair to deport terror suspects after the 7/7 bombings was stalled because of the treaty
Six out of ten voters want Britain to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights to protect the country from terrorist suspects, according to a survey.
It found 61 per cent backed the move so tougher controls could be imposed on potentially dangerous extremists.
Only a quarter of those questioned opposed the idea.
The Government has hinted it would be prepared to consider withdrawal.
There was even more support for a proposal that, after withdrawing from the treaty, the UK should deport convicted terrorists without appeal once their sentence was over - even to countries where they might face torture.
This was backed by two-thirds, with 18 per cent against.
The survey of 2,400 people by YouGov for the think-tank Migrationwatch also found 75 per cent were in favour of introducing powers to keep foreign terror suspects in jail "as long as necessary".
Migrationwatch boss Sir Andrew Green said: "British people are tired of seeing the interests of those intent on destroying our way of life put before the safety of themselves and their families.
"Most find it incomprehensible that convicted terrorists remain in Britain after their sentences.
"We have lost the ability to remove people from this country even when there is good intelligence that their presence is a risk to public safety.
"The convention was right for the time in which it was created 50 years ago.
"But we are in a new situation and the public clearly believes it is time this reality was recognised and acted upon."
The results reflect anger at restrictions imposed by the treaty on the Government's fight against extremism.
Control orders, which restrict fanatics' movements, have been weakened by court defeats.
Seven extremists have been able to go on the run, with many suspected of travelling abroad to fight British and U.S. troops or attend jihadi training camps.
A promise by Tony Blair to deport terror suspects after the 7/7 bombings also stalled because of the treaty.
Suspects' appeals can last years. Fanatics such as cleric Abu Qatada, named as Osama Bin Laden's ambassador in Europe, are here two years after deportation hearings began.
Ministers, who enshrined the treaty into British law in the Human Rights Act after Labour was voted in, have hinted a change may be necessary.
They are appealing against two key rulings, including the judgment that control order suspects must not be put under a form of house arrest and a verdict in the European courts that prevents the protection of British citizens being a factor when deciding if a terror suspect can be deported to a state with poor human rights.
Reader views (2)
At last some real common sense. But will it happen? No. The U.K. for all intents and purposes is now a European province, accepting of all central government initiatives. There's about as much chance of the U.K. dropping out of the ECHR as me being the next man on the moon.
- Phil Jones, London UK
If we can illegally invade a country with the Americans then I don't see this being a problem.
- Trevor Roll, London
