BRITAIN’S long awaited new Bill of Rights has been delayed by David Cameron
for another six months – breaking a Queen’s Speech promise.
The government will now only reveal its plans to scrap the Human Rights Act
and unveil its replacement in July, The Sun has learned.
The postponement means the controversial law is likely to remain in place
until at least 2017 now.
The PM fears the Tory election manifesto plan would explode another Cabinet EU
referendum row.
A nationwide consultation on redrawing the human rights laws has been worked
up by Justice Secretary Michael Gove and his deputy at the ministry Dominic
Raab and has been ready since October last year.
But in a major embarrassment to Mr Cameron, both ministers have since
abandoned him to back Brexit instead.
The PM is worried that beginning the Bill of Rights debate now will open too
many questions over how it would work alongside current EU law, a minister
has told The Sun.
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The minister added: “Cameron also doesn’t want to give any platform to Michael
or Dominic to beat him from until after the referendum. It’s all a bit
pathetic”.
Failing to fulfil a promise made by Her Majesty during her annual speech to
open Parliament is a significant embarrassment.
During it, the Queen told Lords and MPs: “My government will bring forward
proposals for a British Bill of Rights”.
The postponement is the latest in a long list of complex decisions the
government has parked until after the June 23 nationwide vote, as it all but
grinds to a halt in the meantime.
Others include whether to build a third runway at Heathrow airport, renewing
Trident nuclear deterrent system, and its long-awaited obesity strategy.
The Sun has also learned that the BBC charter review will also not begin until
late June at the earliest now.
Our revelation has irritated backbench MPs, with Tory and ex-Army officer Tom
Tugendhat saying: “It is important we remove the Human Rights Act which has
shaped judicial decisions in the past 15 years so much.
“The effect on military commanders on the battlefield has been alarming,
hampering them at every level and they need our urgent help.”
A No10 spokesman said: “The Government will be bringing forward proposals for
a British Bill of Rights in due course.
“As we have previously made clear, there will be a consultation before we
present a Bill to Parliament.”