UK government failing to uphold key human rights, including rights to peaceful protest and access to healthcare for disabled people: EHRC

Its report assesses whether the government has implemented human rights recommendations made at the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2022.

The Regulator warned: “Despite recommendations made three years ago, the UK government is failing to protect fundamental human rights, including rights to protest, healthcare access for disabled people and migrant workers’ freedom from exploitation.

“While progress has been made in some areas, there is still work to be done to ensure that everyone can enjoy basic human rights, including to education, healthcare and to freedom from discrimination, abuse and harassment.”

The report specifically raised concerns about the Government’s strict limits on, and responses to, protests in the UK, noting that despite these limits going against international standards, the Government has not yet repealed laws – such as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act and the Public Order Act 2023 – which may “disproportionately restrict people’s rights to association, peaceful protest and assembly”.

The EHRC’s report also observed “substantial gaps” in improving disabled people’s access to health services, claiming that successive government disability strategies and action plans have failed to focus on improving health services for disabled people.

The EHRC noted: “This is despite data showing disabled people in England – those with long term illnesses or health conditions – face greater barriers to healthcare and are more often on NHS hospital waiting lists."

The report also drew attention to “concerning links” between increased labour exploitation and certain sponsored work visa schemes for foreign nationals.

The regulator highlighted “persistent failings” by the Government to protect migrant workers from abuse and exploitation, despite access to safe and fair working conditions being a basic human right.

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: “As an A-status National Human Rights Institution, it’s our job to monitor and promote human rights in the UK, and to ensure the government is taking the necessary steps to uphold these rights for all of us.  

“The Government has made commitments to protect everyone’s fundamental human rights. While there has been progress in some areas, it is failing to uphold basic rights in others – particularly by permitting heavy-handed responses to peaceful protests, failing to ensure disabled people can access healthcare on a level playing field with others, and allowing labour exploitation to go unchecked for certain workers.  

“This failure to uphold key human rights is concerning for each and every one of us. Our everyday rights are not luxuries to be earned, but obligations governments must uphold.  

“That’s why we’ve written to ministers to urge them to review our new report and implement outstanding recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review to ensure rights are protected across the nation.” 

Last month, the Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote to 15 Government departments reminding them of their Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) responsibilities.

Under the PSED, public authorities have a legal obligation to consider the likely equality impact of their policies, identify actions to address any negative equality implications, and monitor equality impacts on an ongoing basis.

Lottie Winson