UK: Voters expect Burnham to go further on human rights, new Amnesty poll finds

• Four in five want Burnham to do more on human rights
• Nearly nine in ten say government decisions should not leave more people unable to afford food
• Public backs stronger action on Israel and rejects divisive politics

New polling commissioned by Amnesty International* suggests voters expect Andy Burnham to take a stronger approach to human rights than recent Prime Ministers and want him to focus on tackling poverty, protecting rights and standing up for international law.

The polling, conducted ahead of Burnham's move into Number 10, found that more than four in five people (82%) think it is important that the next Prime Minister does more to protect human rights.

Voters are also more than twice as likely to think Burnham will improve on human rights than make things worse. Three in ten (30%) believe Burnham would do better than recent Prime Ministers at protecting human rights, compared with just 11% who think he would do worse.

The findings suggest Burnham’s move into No. 10 comes with significant public expectations that he will offer a different approach on rights, accountability and fairness.

The findings were even stronger among Labour voters. Almost half (47%) believe Burnham would do a better job protecting human rights than recent Prime Ministers, while just 7% think he would do worse. Nearly nine in ten 2024 Labour voters (89%) say it is important that the next Prime Minister does more to protect human rights.

The polling also found overwhelming support for action on poverty and food insecurity, with 86% saying it is important that Burnham commits that no government policy or spending cuts made under his leadership leave more people unable to afford food. Nearly six in ten (59%) said this was very important.

Among Labour voters, support was even higher, with 92% saying such a commitment is important.

When asked which human rights issues they most wanted the next Prime Minister to prioritise, voters ranked tackling poverty and the cost-of-living crisis first (54%), followed by ensuring everyone has access to affordable food and housing (44%).

On public services and technology, nearly two-thirds (64%) said it was important that the next Prime Minister suspends NHS contracts with companies linked to serious human rights violations, including Palantir. Among Labour voters, this rose to 75%.

The survey also found strong support for tougher action internationally. Almost half of respondents (46%) said they support the UK taking stronger action against Israel over alleged violations of international law in Gaza and the wider Occupied Palestinian Territory, compared with just 16% who oppose such action.

Support was even stronger among Labour voters, with 58% backing stronger UK action.

The polling also found concern about the tone of modern politics. After failing to tackle poverty and inequality (60%), the behaviours most commonly identified as concerning were politicians pitting one community against another for political gain (47%) and using racist, misogynistic or discriminatory language (46%).

The findings come as Labour undergoes its first leadership transition in government and amid growing debate about the direction of the party after the Starmer era.

Kerry Moscogiuri, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK, said:

"Andy Burnham has entered office with a clear public expectation that he will do better on human rights than recent governments. He has promised to put the care of people at the heart of everything he does, and this is what our polling shows the public wants.

"Voters want action on the issues that affect their daily lives, from poverty and food insecurity to housing and fairness. They also expect political leaders to stand up for human rights and international law when it matters.

"Perhaps most strikingly, almost nine in ten people say government decisions should not leave more people unable to afford food. That is a powerful reminder that human rights are not abstract principles - they are about whether people can live with dignity and security.

"It's welcome that Burnham has acknowledged that Labour got it wrong on Gaza. We now need to see him turn that recognition into a different approach in government that includes urgent concrete action to hold Israel accountable.

"This polling shows the strength of public support for human rights. Voters want leaders who are prepared to step up and do more to protect people's rights, dignity and security."

• 81% say it is important that the next Prime Minister does more to protect human rights.
• 89% of Labour voters say it is important that the next Prime Minister does more to protect human rights.
• 30% think Andy Burnham would do better than recent Prime Ministers at protecting human rights, compared with 11% who think he would do worse.
• 47% of Labour voters think Burnham would do better than recent Prime Ministers at protecting human rights, compared with 7% who think he would do worse.
• 86% say it is important that government decisions do not leave more people unable to afford food, including 59% who say this is very important.
• 92% of Labour voters say it is important that government decisions do not leave more people unable to afford food.
• 54% say tackling poverty and the cost-of-living crisis should be a top priority for the next Prime Minister.
• 44% say ensuring access to affordable food and housing should be a priority.
• 46% support stronger UK action against Israel over alleged violations of international law in Gaza and the wider Occupied Palestinian Territory, compared with 16% who oppose it.
• 58% of Labour voters support stronger UK action against Israel.
• 60% say they are concerned by politicians failing to tackle poverty and inequality.
• 47% say they are concerned by politicians pitting communities against one another for political gain.
• 46% say they are concerned by politicians using racist, misogynistic or discriminatory language.
• 64% say it is important that NHS contracts with companies linked to serious human rights violations, including Palantir, are suspended.
• 75% of Labour voters say it is important that NHS contracts with companies linked to serious human rights violations, including Palantir, are suspended.

*Polling commissioned by Amnesty International UK. Savanta interviewed 2,023 UK adults online between 10th and 13th July 2026. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region and social grade.