Fighting for everyday rights

We all have basic rights. To food, education, a safe place to live, healthcare and employment. And yet, too many of us are missing out on these core aspects of a dignified life.

At Amnesty, we fight for the rights of everyone, everywhere. In the UK this means making the case for these everyday rights to be enshrined in law, so that we can hold the government and others to account.

The UK has signed up to a UN treaty defining these economic, cultural and social rights. But because they are not included in UK law, we can’t rely on them in court. This must change.

A promise is not worth much if it can’t be enforced, which is why we are urging the government to prioritise legislation which protects our everyday rights.

Everyone deserves to live with dignity, passion and respect. But all too often, the voices of the most vulnerable people in society are not heard by those in power.

In 2024, we spoke to people across the country experiencing poverty and inequality, as well as the grassroots organisations that work with them. The picture they painted was dire. Living without a safety net, people are being forced to make impossible choices between eating or heating their homes.

We spotlighted the terrible impact of homelessness on children and their families in Before Our Eyes, a hard-hitting cinema trailer produced for Amnesty. But the truth is, this is not a drama, this is real life for far too many people.

People in the UK deserve better. Their voices and the solutions that could make their lives less difficult need to be heard: reforming the NHS, taking steps to protect children from the effects of inequality, putting humanity back into politics and ending discriminating and divisive rhetoric.

‘Homelessness is a Political Choice’. This was the message we projected onto the Houses of Parliament in 2024 to promote the “Ending Homelessness Together” charter.

According to Shelter more than 350,000 people in England are homeless, living in temporary accommodation, in hostels or sleeping rough. Many more are in precarious positions in the private rented sector.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We partnered with the charity Groundswell and 71 individuals, many of whom had experienced homelessness, to fight to make affordable housing a right protected by law.

The “Ending Homelessness Together” charter was the result of our partnership, and sets out clear actions for the government, including providing better financial support for people experiencing homelessness, making renting more affordable, and involving those with lived experience in policymaking. More than 16,600 people signed the petition supporting the charter.

Tony, who helped write it, said: “I know how difficult it is to get out of homelessness. The Prime Minister said it is people with the skin in the game who know what's best for their community. So, listen to us.”

As part of our housing and everyday rights work we actively campaigned for and provided written evidence on the UK government's Renters' Rights Act 2025 (formerly the Renters' Rights Bill). Our focus was ensuring the Bill upheld basic human rights.

In particular, we called for the Act to create a legal right to adequate housing, end no-fault evictions, place a limit on rent increases during a tenancy, and end discrimination by landlords.

The Act, which became law in October 2025, is a positive step towards securing human rights in housing. But it falls short by not explicitly incorporating the right to adequate housing into domestic law.

We will keep fighting for this change to the law so that no one has to fear losing their home.

We don’t want to live in a country where only some people get to enjoy their human rights. It’s time to make sure everyone’s basic rights are protected, and build a Britain we can all be proud to call home.