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Reform’s Durham County Council deputy leader Darren Grimes, who has previously described the European Convention on Human Rights as “utterly bent” is now planning to use it in a move which will make it easier to dismiss complaints by voters.
“Beard removal is now ‘torture’ under the ECHR”, Grimes complained on June 25. He’s also claimed that “the ECHR still runs our borders” and has mocked Keir Starmer as “the ECHR’s biggest fanboy on the world stage”.
Grimes has made no secret of his desire to quit the human rights framework, writing in 2024: “Leave the ECHR! Please wake up to how serious this is for democracy!”
But, it now seems Grimes is the ECHR’s biggest supporter on the council stage. At least, when it suits.
On July 16, at the full council meeting, Grimes will present a motion which will:
- Incorporate a principle that there is “no right to not be offended by lawful speech” into the council’s Code of Conduct.
- Argue that as councillors are “democratically mandated representatives” with constitutional duties, they are not subject to workplace restrictions on (hateful) speech.
- Prevent supposedly “vexatious” standards proceedings against councillors for controversial but lawful political views.
- Amend complaint procedures to give “particular regard” to enhanced protection for political speech when assessing complaints against councillors.
- Call on other North East councils to adopt similar measures to prevent “misuse of standards procedures to silence legitimate political debate”
But the provision which really stands out is this: “When assessing complaints involving freedom of expression, particular regard shall be given to the enhanced protection afforded to political speech under Article 10 ECHR and the democratic mandate of elected members to represent diverse viewpoints within their communities.”
Article 10 of the ECHR protects people’s right to hold their own opinions and to express them freely without Government interference. The convention is overseen by the Council of Europe and enforcement undertaken by the European Court of Human Rights.
As Byline Times has reported, Grimes has already faced complaints over his inflammatory social media posts – though at least one was swiftly dismissed, with the council claiming it was posted in a personal capacity. Reform swept to power on the council in May.
In the same council meeting this week, Reform will vote to rescind the Climate Emergency Declaration made by the council on 20 February 2019. It will become the first council to do so.
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Protesters will gather outside Durham’s County Hall on Wednesday, with local campaigners calling on others to “bring your flags, banners and placards along to Durham County Hall from 9am before the full council meeting”.
“Let’s show Reform the strength of feeling about their decision making so far and how we feel about their agenda for the meeting which includes motions to change the councillor code of conduct to allow more heinous divisive rhetoric and one to deny the climate crisis,” a Stand Up to Racism organiser said.
A Green councillor said that while the motions are set to pass given Nigel Farage’s party’s domination of the council, it will “expose the real Reform”.
holding farage to account #reformUNCOVERED
While most the rest of the media seems to happy to give the handful of Reform MPs undue prominence, Byline Times is committed to tracking the activities of Nigel Farage’s party when actually in power
Contribute to our #ReformUncovered crowdfunderWith thanks to our readers as ever for story tips. Do you live in a Reform-run council area? Get in touch in confidence on josiah@bylinetimes.com
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Josiah Mortimer also writes the On the Ground column, exclusive to the print edition of Byline Times.
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