Dale farm and the Abuse of Human Rights

Like many people, I have a great deal of admiration for Amnesty International and the work they do for human rights around the world. Their constant campaigning against the unfair treatment of marginalised groups and victimised individuals has done much to draw attention to the injustices that continue to exist throughout the world. A few days ago, however, my respect for Amnesty International was severely dented when I discovered they were running a petition in support of the travellers who are fighting eviction from Dale Farm.

For those who haven’t been following this story, the long-running dispute goes back to 1996 when an Irish Travelling Family purchased the Dale Farm site. By 2001, many families had moved on to the site and had begun building on it without planning permission and ignoring the fact that the land is greenbelt and therefore cannot be built on by law. Since 2005, Basildon Council has been taking action to try and evict the travellers from their land but the travellers have refused to leave and have fought a long court battle saying the eviction affects their human rights. Their claims were eventually rejected and earlier this year Basildon Council voted to go ahead with the eviction. As the bailiff’s were preparing to move in, however, the travellers were granted a High Court injunction saying that their rights had not been given enough consideration and the dispute continues.

The travellers have found support from a wide range of people including Vanessa Redgrave, the United Nations and now, sadly, from Amnesty International who portray the residents of Dale Farm as the victims of a great injustice. I, however, feel that the real victims of injustice are the law-abiding taxpayers of this country who have had to watch while those who have broken the law are treated like victims. People may argue that the council has a duty to provide these people with homes and land but the unavoidable fact is that the travellers’ site is illegal. It goes against the planning permission and greenbelt laws of this country. By saying that the travellers should be allowed to remain at Dale Farm, aren’t organisations like Amnesty International saying that the law of this country should simply be disregarded?

Those speaking in support of the travellers do not seem to acknowledge that many of the travellers do have accommodation in Ireland. They have even been offered alternative accommodation by Basildon Council. They have legal homes but are refusing to leave their illegal ones. The traveller’s supporters preaching about human rights also fails to acknowledge the rights of the local residents whose lives have been made hell by the traveller’s camp. They have not only seen the values of their homes fall considerably but have had to suffer the traveller’s rubbish as well as their verbal and violent abuse. It seems that the United Nations has no concern at all for the rights of these people.

The Dale Farm story is one that is, unfortunately, becoming all too common today because of the disastrous European Act of European Rights that was signed into law by the last Labour government. Barely a week goes by without the government being told they cannot deport a foreign criminal because of their human rights. One man fought off deportation because of his right to a family life despite the fact his family consisted solely of his pet cat. We have also seen the release this week of a dangerous terrorist who poses a real threat to this country’s security but who cannot be deported because his rights may not be respected if he is returned to his home country.

It makes me livid that this Act allows unelected European judges to override the power of our elected parliament and dictate to us about home affairs. I can not state clearly enough how much I believe in the importance of human rights. As I stated earlier, I have always admired how much organisations like Amnesty International have done to uphold human rights. I was also sickened by the revelations that Former US President George W. Bush had authorized the torturing of terrorist suspects via waterboarding. Such an abuse of human rights from the country that is supposed to symbolise liberty and freedom is nothing short of scandalous. Cases like Dale Farm, however, show that the European Act of Human Rights is having an incredibly detrimental effect. It is being abused by criminals who have given absolutely no thought to the rights of others.

It was because of cases like these that I whole-heartedly supported David Cameron’s pledge in opposition to scrap this Act and replace it with a British Bill of Human Rights. This would uphold the importance of rights while emphasising the responsibilities that come with them and prevent unelected EU judges from overriding the UK’s sovereignty. Sadly though for the nearly eleven million people who voted Tory at the last election, such a bill is as far off as ever. The Liberal Democrats remain wholly committed to the Human Rights Act and refused to allow the Tories to scrap it. As a result, people like the residents of Dale farm are able to continue to make a mockery of the British justice system. It is just another example of how detached from the view of the people that the Liberal Democrats have become.

We are certain to hear much about this at the Tory Party Conference this week but the people of this country are fast running out of patience with empty words on this issue. They want action now. This is why I think the Tories should take steps to amend the act even if it means angering their coalition partners. If the Liberal Democrats do prevent this reform, the people of this country will see very clearly who is holding them back and will surely punish the Liberal Democrats at the ballot box. In the meantime I can only hope that the law is upheld at Dale Farm and that the travellers are evicted peacefully and allowed to live in their lawful homes. I have a terrible feeling, however, that as long as the European Act of Human Rights exists this hope will never be realised.