Starmer under pressure to sack Attorney General after 'Nazi' remarks

Kemi Badenoch calls for ‘dangerous’ Lord Hermer to go after his apology for ECHR comments



Sir Keir Starmer is facing pressure to sack his Attorney General after he compared calls to leave the European Convention on Human Rights to the rise of Nazism.

Lord Hermer was forced to apologise on Friday for his “clumsy” remarks that likened politicians wanting to leave the ECHR to legal experts in 1930s Germany, who rejected international law and human rights in favour of state power.

Following an outcry from Conservative and Reform MPs, Lord Hermer’s spokesman said he acknowledged that “his choice of words was clumsy and regrets having used this reference”, in an apology released by Downing Street.

The row, an attack on the Tories and Reform, is a particular headache for Sir Keir as it comes less than a week before the Scottish Parliament by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, where Nigel Farage’s party will challenge Labour, a month after seizing hundreds of seats in the local elections.

Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader whom Lord Hermer criticised by name, is leading calls to sack him, though the Prime Minister has insisted he has full confidence in his law chief.

Mrs Badenoch, who has hinted that she would be prepared to leave the ECHR unless it is reformed, said: “From refusing to fight the case against Kneecap, to advising the Government to hand over £30 billion and our territory in the Chagos Islands, Lord Hermer has shown appalling judgement time and again. Now he’s calling people who disagree with him Nazis.

“This isn’t just embarrassing, it’s dangerous. Hermer doesn’t understand government. He believes in the rule of lawyers, not the rule of law. If Keir Starmer had any backbone, he’d sack him. But will he risk upsetting his old friend and former donor? I doubt it.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has backed leaving the ECHR said: “An apology is something, but the damage to our country continues. Hermer sums up this failing Government.”

Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary who has also backed quitting the treaty, said: “Lord Hermer’s appalling smear shows the complete disdain with which Labour views people who care about border security. He is a liability that you can’t trust to defend Britain’s interests. Starmer hasn’t sacked him because he shares his anti-British, hard-Left world view.”

The row has also caused concerns on Labour backbenches. Senior Labour MP Graham Stringer said: “I think it was a mistake to appoint someone with no obvious political experience to a senior position in the Cabinet. Blunders like that can be expected from inexperienced politicians.

“If you can join international treaties, you can leave them. There are processes for that. His comments were extreme and foolish.”

Lord Hermer, who has no background in politics, is a friend of the Prime Minister and was given a peerage to enter Parliament after Labour won the general election last year.

He has already faced criticism over his alleged conflicts of interest in his previous work as a human rights lawyer, including representing Gerry Adams.