Tom Tugendhat had previously categorically rejected the UK withdrawing from the ECHR, an unearthed clip from the 2022 Conservative Party leadership contest found by GB News has revealed.
The former security minister has taken a step forward by declaring his candidacy and positioning himself as open to the end of the Strasbourg court’s jurisdiction over Britain.
However, during the 2022 Conservative Party leadership race, Tugendhat rejected this suggestion.
Asked whether he supported leaving the ECHR, the 51-year-old simply replied: “No.”
Tugendhat, who entered the House of Commons after serving as a lieutenant colonel in the British Army, answered a number of other rapid-fire questions during his interview.
However, he appears more willing to give detailed answers to other questions, including China’s potential invasion of Taiwan, HS2 and net zero.
Tugendhat was more evasive when asked whether he would work for a prime minister who had broken the law.
“I’ve been very clear about my policy on this and I think what we need to do is bring integrity back into British politics,” he said.
Penny Mordaunt, who lost her seat on July 4, also rejected the idea of the UK leaving the ECHR.
During the 2022 leadership race, eventual winner Liz Truss told MPs she would cancel the UK’s membership of the Strasbourg court “if necessary”.
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Photo of the ECHR
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After insisting that she wanted to reform the ECHR first, Truss added: “If that meant leaving the ECHR, I would be prepared to do that.”
Rishi Sunak also stressed the need to keep “all options on the table”.
However, the Richmond MP added: “We are clearly not at that point. [leaving] and there is a lot of work for us to do.
Tugendhat has changed his mind on this issue since the party’s 2022 leadership race, expressing a potential openness to leaving the ECHR.
Speaking to GB News on Thursday, Tugendhat said: “If this [the ECHR] “If the EU fails to reform, if it fails to work, if the opt-out does not allow us to protect the British people, then we must leave.”
Tugendhat’s decision to turn to euroscepticism has been criticised by a number of MPs, including Nigel Farage.
Tom Tugendhat is seen as a defender of the moderate wing of the Conservative PartyPennsylvaniaThe leader of the British Reform Party asked: “I saw a clip of the interview where he said we had to be absolutely clear, but he wasn’t very clear, was he?”
However, the Tonbridge MP’s allies point out that he has always supported the opt-out and is influenced by the current Channel crossing crisis.
A source close to Tugendhat told GB News: “Tom has consistently supported the ECHR derogation for over a decade.
“As the small craft crisis deepens, he has made it clear that if the ECHR fails to reform itself and the derogation fails to protect the British people by securing our borders, then we must leave.”
The number of migrants crossing the Channel reached a record 45,774 in 2022, with a further 29,437 making the perilous 21-mile journey last year.
However, concerns about the sincerity of Tugendhat’s commitment to the ECHR threaten his commitment to restoring integrity.
In an article for the Telegraph, Tugendhat said: “The key to victory lies in that simple word: trust. We must regain the trust of the British people by giving them our trust.”
A photo of migrants crossing the Channel and arriving in KentPennsylvania“By fighting every day to empower them to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. By fighting so they can keep more of their money. By fighting so they have a say in how their community looks and feels.”
Former immigration minister Damien Green, who supports Tugendhat, said the former security minister did not explicitly express support for leaving the ECHR.
“When you say he wants to leave the ECHR, that’s not true,” the former Ashford MP told the BBC.
Green, on the contrary, claimed that Tugendhat hoped to reform the Strasbourg court, adding: “I suppose he wants a reformed ECHR.”
Tugendhat ran for Conservative Party leader in 2022 but was eliminated in the third round after receiving the support of 31 Conservative MPs, the majority of whom were from the One Nation party.
The Tonbridge MP made his mark after performing well in a number of debates and even took aim at Sunak over his decision to increase national insurance as chancellor.
However, questions about the UK’s relationship with the ECHR have grown after the Strasbourg court appeared to halt the implementation of Sunak’s Rwanda plan.
Suella Braverman, Priti Patel and Robert Jenrick have all expressed support for leaving the ECHR.
James Cleverly appears to have taken a different path, with the former Brexit-supporting Home Secretary instead vowing to “resist” the court’s rulings rather than favour leaving the convention.
