As a champion of human rights and a member of the European Convention on Human Rights, the United Kingdom is expected to uphold the highest standards of human dignity and equality. However, recent developments in the country suggest a worrying trend towards human rights violations and abuses. From the sweeping powers of the police to detain citizens without trial to the hostile environment policy targeting immigrants, the UK is in the midst of a human rights flop era. In this article, we will delve into the troubling signs that indicate the decline of human rights in the UK and what can be done to reverse this disturbing trend.
The United Kingdom has received official confirmation of its increased authoritarianism with the latest annual index of civic freedoms released by the Civicus Monitor, an international body that analyses the democratic health of 196 countries. The report has downgraded Britain’s democratic rating moving the country away from its reputation as an open and liberal democracy, with the monitor stating that the government created a “hostile environment” for charities, campaigners and other civil society groups. This marks our latest decline in civic freedoms, as Transparency International recently reported a decline in anti-corruption standards and controls over the use of taxpayers’ money in the country.
According to the Civicus report, the government has made it difficult for citizens to engage in democratic processes by enacting anti-protest laws that have increased police powers, which could give way to the new Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act and the Public Order Act currently passing through Parliament. The Acts are intended to curtail “guerrilla”-style protests like those of Just Stop Oil, but as the Equality and Human Rights Commission reports, the legislation risks criminalising peaceful protesters and inhibiting protests, leading to further unnecessary criminalisation of peaceful protesters. With the rising numbers of cases where serving police officers have committed domestic or sexual violence and have exchanged homophobic and racist messages, the police’s public trust and confidence deteriorate.
Moreover, the report cites other examples of the government’s recent erosion of civil rights. These include the Strikes Bill that would severely curtail trade unions, the growing attacks on migrants and asylum-seekers as well as Rishi Sunak’s decision to overturn Scotland’s democratic decision to reform Gender Recognition. The Online Safety Bill risks increasing censorship and limiting freedom of expression. The government’s recent actions have resulted in a growing distrust of the police, as stated by the report, referencing incidents like Sarah Everard’s murder and the thousands of cases where serving police officers have committed domestic or sexual violence.
The report calls for citizens to keep a close eye on the government’s actions and policies, urging them not to view the government’s claims about protecting democracy at face value. This review comes following a year of criticism from international NGOs, with Human Rights Watch stating in its 2023 global report that the Tories have repeatedly sought to damage and undermine human rights protections, leading to the worst assault on human rights in Britain in decades.
The decline in civic freedoms and the lack of anti-corruption standards and control over the use of taxpayers’ money has been a significant years-long trend in the country, according to Transparency International. The government has overseen a considerable slide in standards and controls over the use of taxpayers’ money, with breaches of the ministerial code never investigated and wealthy Tory party donors awarded House of Lord seats. Morally questionable practices like the allocation of PPE funding to companies with government ties have also come to light in recent years.
Though a number of campaigners and groups have called attention to the issue for years, governments have often dismissed them, accusing them of being alarmist and hysterical. Unfortunately, this report’s impact will probably not lead to major changes, as the government has frequently positioned itself against meddling human rights groups and “leftie lawyers”. Regardless, it is reassuring to know that confirmation of our increased authoritarianism has ensured a sense of clarity for those who have previously acknowledged that something is going seriously wrong with Britain.
