Bill of rights woes...

THE Government has had to delay announcing the membership of a commission to explore the case for a British Bill of Rights after the person selected to chair it backed out at the last minute.

Those on the Tory right had hoped that a Conservative pledge to bring in a British Bill of Rights would allow the UK to legally trump decisions made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) – unlikely.

But because of Lib Dem support for the ECHR, the Coalition agreed only to set up a commission to look at the case for introducing the Bill.

So the commission’s very existence is already irksome to Tory righties, and now further delay.

Membership of the body was all but set and could have been announced this week, but the person originally tasked to lead it pulled out saying she would be “too busy” to take up the role.

The Government is now trying to get another member locked into the job, but I’ve a feeing the commission is going to be more trouble than the PM ever knew.