The Human Rights Act (a codification of the European Convention on Human Rights) would need to be repealed and replaced by a British Fundamental Freedoms Act that would concentrate on the freedoms essential to a democratic and civilised society. We would seek inspiration from our own Common Law, historic charters and statutes for the preservation of our rights rather than less-than-perfect continental role models.
Our priority must be to protect and extend those freedoms that are essential to a civilised and democratic society: freedom from torture, ill-treatment, and cruel and unusual punishments, freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, and freedom to contest and to campaign in elections.
Freedom of expression must be subject to the fewest exceptions (such as clear advocacy of violence). Freedom of association must include the freedom to form and shape parties and groups without any interference from the state.
All race relations legislation must be repealed. It is either undesirable, unnecessary or both.
We believe that employees must have protection from unfair dismissal, for example when carried out on account of the employee’s political beliefs or affiliations. However, the concept of unfairness does not need to be reinforced by discrimination legislation.
We do not believe that the recipients of goods and services from the private sector need to be protected by discrimination legislation.
We do not accept that there should be restrictions on freedom of expression to accommodate a supposed freedom not to be offended.
We recognise that the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 is one of the most necessary pieces of legislation, protecting suspects and investigating officers from false accusations. It matches the provision of necessary investigative powers to the police with safeguards for the rights of suspects.
First of all, we must assert our complete control over our own foreign policy.
We must not allow our foreign policy to be hijacked by other states. In particular, we must avoid any partisan involvement in the Middle East or exploitation by the United States administration of our supposed special relationship with that country. We do not want Britain to carry out the role of the world’s policeman. Our service personnel must not be sent to die in foreign wars in which we have no vital interests at stake.