Tories explain how they would tackle illegal traveller sites

James Cleverly, the Shadow Housing Secretary, says the Conservatives would tackle illegal traveller sites by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Speaking in the context of a promised crackdown by his party, Cleverly argued that exiting the ECHR would prevent people from claiming “special status” based on ethnicity or culture. The statement connects the proposed policy shift directly to enforcement plans targeting unauthorised sites. It also signals that the party views legal frameworks under the ECHR as an obstacle to restricting settlement rights associated with traveller communities, according to Cleverly.