New polling shows overwhelming support for human rights protections - and deep distrust of politicians with people’s rights 

‘Human rights were not designed for fair weather. They were built for the storms, for the moments of populism, institutional failure and authoritarian creep’ – Tom Morrison 

As the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) marks its 75th anniversary (4 November), major new polling from Savanta for Amnesty International reveals that the British public wants to keep strong human rights protections and does not trust politicians to decide or reduce people’s rights. 

Human rights matter today just as much as when ‘Never Again’ was written 

1.      More than 8 in 10 UK adults say that human rights protections are as important - or more important - today than when the ECHR was created after the Second World War. 

When asked which rights matter most to them, UK adults chose: 

1.      The right to a fair trial (42%) 

1.      The right to life (41%) 

1.      The right to privacy, family life and respect for your home (40%) 

People believe rights should be universal, permanent, and protected from political interference 

1.      87% agree that rights and laws must apply equally to everyone. 

1.      85% agree we need a legal safety net to hold the Government accountable in cases like the infected blood scandal and Grenfell. 

1.      78% agree rights should be permanent, not something the Government of the day can reduce. 

Support for staying in the ECHR is almost twice as high as support for leaving 

1.      48% want the UK to remain part of the ECHR. 

1.      Only 26% want to leave. 

Support for staying is 2:1. 

In moments of national injustice, people see why rights matter 

Respondents were shown a list of major UK scandals or institutional failings and asked which made them feel the importance of strong legal protections. 

Top five events chosen by the public: 

1.      Grenfell Tower – 46% 

1.      Hillsborough disaster and cover up – 42% 

1.      Infected blood scandal & the COVID inquiry – 37% 

1.      The murder of Sarah Everard – 36% 

1.      Windrush scandal – 29% 

These are cases where institutions failed and where people needed accountability. 

Tom Morrison, Amnesty International UK’s Human Rights Legal Protections Campaign Manager, said: 

“Seventy-five years ago, in the aftermath of war and atrocity, a generation resolved that ‘Never Again’ must mean something real. Veterans, survivors and leaders built the European Convention on Human Rights to place dignity, justice and accountability beyond the reach of unchecked power. 

“Human rights were not designed for fair weather. They were built for the storms, for the moments of populism, institutional failure and authoritarian creep. Exactly the sort of challenges we face today. 

“The polling could not be clearer: people value their rights, and they do not trust politicians to mark their own homework. Nearly eight in ten people say rights should be permanent, not something a government can reduce or take away on a whim.  

“Honouring the ECHR is not about the past. It’s about protecting people now, and safeguarding what future generations will inherit.”   

ENDS