Sir Keir Starmer is sending two of his closest allies to the heart of the EU today in a desperate bid to "fix the problem" of the "far-right".
David Lammy and Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, have been dispatched to Strasbourg for urgent talks on reforming the highly controversial European Convention on Human Rights.
The PM is pushing to rescue the treaty and make it "evolve to reflect the challenges of the 21st century" - warning that if it does not, "populists will win".
His poll-topping rivals Reform UK and his Tory opposition have both pledged to leave the Convention entirely, arguing it is being misused to fuel Britain's migrant crisis.
In a joint article with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen in The Guardian, Sir Keir pledged that migration "must be orderly, managed and sustainable".
They said they would "act", not "exploit these issues and stoke grievances as some do".
The pair continued: "Together, we are calling on our friends across Europe to go further in tackling these shared challenges.
"Europe has faced big tests before and we have overcome them by acting together. Now we must do so again. Otherwise, the forces that seek to divide us will grow stronger.
Keir Starmer has sent David Lammy and Lord Hermer to Strasbourg
|PA
"So our message is this: as responsible, progressive Governments we will deliver the change that people are crying out for. We will control our borders to protect our democracies - and make our nations stronger than ever in the years to come."
Labour has pledged to change how Article 8, the right to a private life, is interpreted in domestic law.
Mr Lammy is set to argue for changes to Article 3 in a bid to make deportation from Britain easier.
The Deputy PM will renew Britain's vows with the ECHR - and is expected to argue that pulling out would be a "fake solution".
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Foreign Secretary David Lammy | PAA source close to Lord Hermer, the Attorney General, told GB News "his aim is to show the ECHR can and is modernising to address today's challenges, and that the most effective way of tackling illegal immigration is with our allies.
"Reform and Conservatives want to take away hard-won rights from British working people and leave us isolated on the international stage. Under Labour we are respected internationally again, and that means we can broker deals and agreements that have practical benefits for British voters."
Both the Conservatives and Reform UK have said they would leave the convention if they won the next election.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said leaving would not be a “silver bullet” but was a necessary step to “protect our borders, our veterans and our citizens”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he would oppose such a move as the convention “upholds our freedom”.
He also argues leaving it would “do nothing to stop the boats or fix our broken immigration system”.