Keir Starmer's Legal Chief Backs Down Over 'Nazi' Jibe At Tories And Reform

Keir Starmer’s law chief has been forced to back down after he appeared to compare the Tories and Reform UK to the Nazis.

Lord Hermer provoked an angry backlash in a speech defending the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The attorney general compared Conservative and Reform calls for Britain to leave the ECHR to 1930s Germany.

In a speech on Thursday, he said: “The claim that international law is fine as far as it goes, but can be put aside when the conditions change, is a claim that was made in the early 1930s by ‘realist’ jurists in Germany, most notably Carl Schmitt, whose central thesis was in essence the claim that state power is all that counts.”

Hermer’s mention of political theorist Schmitt was particularly controversial as he supported Adolf Hitler’s decision to bypass the German constitution in 1933.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said: “It is appalling that Hermer would insinuate those who think we should leave the ECHR are like the Nazis.

“David Lammy tried that disgusting smear with Brexiteers and it didn’t work for him. It won’t work for Hermer either.”

Responding to the criticism, a spokesman for Lord Hermer said: “The attorney general gave a speech defending international law which underpins our security, protects against threats from aggressive states like Russia and helps tackle organised immigration crime.

“He rejects the characterisation of his speech by the Conservatives. He acknowledges though that his choice of words was clumsy and regrets having used this reference.”