David Lammy
Foreign Secretary, then Lord Chancellor · Cabinet 2024–
In one sentence
Cabinet vote against enforcement, then the minister who owns the courts that hear the appeals.
Lammy voted against NABA, the Illegal Migration Act and Rwanda. As Foreign Secretary he was the external face of Starmer's 'we stay in the ECHR' line. In September 2025 he became Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary — the minister for the very courts, legal aid and human-rights culture that process the Article 8 claims. He is not a Home Secretary. He is the political owner of the legal machine.
We will not leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
What they did
2021–2024
Opposition noes
Whipped and personal votes against the last three enforcement statutes.
Sep 2025
Lord Chancellor
Took justice after Mahmood moved to the Home Office. Responsible for the courts backlog that is itself a pull factor: claim, delay, settle.
How they voted
Blocked it / opened it means they voted against tighter rules, or for the Human Rights Act. Backed it means they voted for a tightening bill.
| Bill | What they did | Note |
|---|---|---|
NABA 2022 2022 | Blocked it | Labour against. |
IMA 2023 2023 | Blocked it | Labour against. |
Rwanda Act 2024 2024 | Blocked it | Labour against. |
Border Security Act 2025 2025 | Aye | Cabinet minister, government aye. |
Sources: Hansard division lists; Cabinet appointments 2024–25