Far right populism is gaining traction across the world – and the UK is not an exception.

The far right tell us that some in our society are deserving of human rights and equality while others are not. They tell us that we need to dismantle rights and equalities protections, and there are worrying signs of some of our politicians listening to these views.

As organisations working in human rights and equality across the UK, we utterly reject this approach.

The human rights and equality protections we have across the UK – including the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act, the Equality Act, specific legislation across the devolved nations and jurisdictions and our international human rights standards[1] – have been hard fought for over many years, and we will keep fighting to protect what we have.

These human rights and equality protections benefit everyone in our society.

They are about ensuring people in the workplace don’t experience discrimination on the basis of disability, sex, gender, race, sexuality or other status.

They are about being treated with dignity and fairness when we interact with public services and access to justice when things go wrong.

They are about people being able to have a say over their own lives, such as in decisions about their care and treatment.

They are about being able to visit our loved ones in hospitals and care homes.

They are about children and young people being able to have a fidget toy or their favourite teddy in a mental health ward.

They are about having the choice to keep living in your community or being able to resist an eviction decision.

They are about holding the state to account, and they are about implementing positive changes that endure.

Importantly these rights and equalities are universal – they belong and apply to each and every one of us. As stated by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe,

“We cannot afford to abandon the modern human rights architecture. It is time for countries everywhere to double down on the simple promise that human rights belong to everyone.”

We need to protect these rights for everyone, to continue working to fulfil their potential, but we also need to go further.

As noted by the former UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, it is precisely because people feel abandoned by the State, and betrayed by the people supposed to represent us, that they are tempted to believe in the promises of the far right. The feelings people have are not irrational – they are connected to real social change and deepening inequality.

The narrative used by government that sets migrants, ‘benefit claimants’, and other groups against ‘hardworking families’ and each other risks normalising exclusion and discrimination and fuels the very division the government claims to oppose.

People are experiencing insecurity in jobs, housing, access to food and health. These are human rights problems, and they need human rights solutions.

The response from the UK Government must not be to give support to policies and politics of division.

We believe the answer must be:

• to tackle the persistent and deepening inequality, poverty and systemic discrimination faced by so many, and address the challenges that undermine community cohesion and trust in democracy
• to protect the rights we currently have in our law in the UK
• to bring in legal protections for the rights that don’t yet have protection in law across the UK – our economic, social, cultural and environmental rights
• inclusive policymaking based on an underpinning equality and human rights framework, co-designed with affected communities, and effective safeguards against regression
• to build a system rooted in justice, equality and dignity for all
• to invest in universal public services, to unite rather than divide, and to protect rather than punish

This is a critical moment for the UK, a time for deep reflection on what kind of country we are, what kind of country we want to be and what kind of a country we are building for future generations.

The UK Government faces a clear decision: continue with policies that divide and harm or adopt an approach that is rooted in fundamental human rights. We call upon them to choose human rights and equality.

This statement was developed by Just Fair and the UK ESCR Network.

Background image by Veronika Belcheva for Fine Acts

[1] Including: International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, Convention on the Rights of the Child, International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the European Social Charter