Supporters of the European Convention on Human Rights must seize the moment and confront right-wing propaganda demanding the UK leaves it now - or risk a Brexit-style disaster, argues Kevin Maguire.

The drumbeats get louder as the call of the wild pulses through the blood of the Conservative party again. The front page of the Telegraph on Thursday splashes, “Cabinet call on PM to ditch ECHR”. On their headcount, a third of the British cabinet want to join Russia and Belarus as pariah states outside the European convention on human rights.

Bloc declares solidarity with protests against Lukashenko’s grip on power as it vows to press ahead with sanctions.

The EU’s foreign minister has slammed the violence against protesters in the wake of the presidential election in Belarus, calling the elections “neither free nor fair”.

Foreign ministers agree individuals responsible for vote-rigging and violence should face asset freezes and travel bans.

The prime minister is considering tearing up the Human Rights Act and suspending the European Convention on Human Rights.

Many people blame the EU for triggering the conflict in Ukraine. However, the EU’s failure to predict Russia’s actions does not make it responsible for them. Since the fighting began, the EU has done a lot to help Ukraine and constrain Russia’s behaviour.

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, MEPs demand the Russian political and military leadership be held accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

The Democratic Unionist Party had an outsized voice in Westminster during Britain’s Brexit negotiations.

The European Court of Human Rights is still relevant to the UK, despite the country leaving the EU. / Certain Conservative MPs ... have called for the UK to leave the human rights convention, which would make Britain one of the few European nations, alongside Russia and Belarus, outside of ECHR.

President Putin denies that Russia welcomes Britain’s vote to leave the EU – but it offers a possibility of weakened sanctions and a shift in power relations

The issue that is most worrying Tory MPs this week is small boats. “We’d be in the same club as Russia and Belarus,” says one minister. “It’s not a good idea.” It’s also the case that the ECHR is integral to the Good Friday Agreement. Such a move could lead to resignations.