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UK: 'Dreadful irony' in Lammy seeking dilution of rights on Human Rights Day
UK Government reportedly pushing other states to weaken protections at Council of Europe summit
‘To weaken ECHR protections now, on a day meant to reaffirm dignity and protection for all, is not reform. It is moral retreat’ - Steve Valdez-Symonds
As the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy heads to the Council of Europe summit tomorrow (Wednesday 10 December) which falls on International Human Rights Day, an anniversary recalling the founding spirit of universal dignity, it would be a profound betrayal if the government used this moment to retreat from fundamental human rights protections, Amnesty International UK said.
According to reports, UK ministers are seeking to reinterpret or restrict protections under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, and Article 8, covering the right to family life. These proposals would narrow protections for people fleeing war, persecution or serious harm, despite Article 3 being absolute, without ambiguity, exception or compromise.
Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme Director, said:
“There is a dreadful irony in our Justice Secretary working with his counterparts to remove or reduce rights on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It shows how far we have drifted from the moral resolve of the last century, when our grandparents determined that the fact we are all born free and equal must be protected in law.
“Human rights were never meant to be optional or reserved for comfortable and secure times. They were designed to be a compass, our conscience, when the politics of fear and division try to steer us wrong. To weaken ECHR protections now, on a day meant to reaffirm dignity and protection for all, is not reform. It is moral retreat.
“You cannot protect the majority’s rights by attacking the rights of minorities. That is the opposite of universal human rights. Appeasement of anti-rights demands has never satisfied those who want full withdrawal from the ECHR. It only encourages them to push further.
“The very idea that Mr Lammy might soften our commitment to those fleeing war and danger, simply because times are politically difficult, should shame us all. International human rights treaties are promises. As was clear when they were first made, when times are hardest it is most vital these promises are kept.”
The Government’s recent asylum plans, including restricting refugee status and reducing protections for families and people at risk of destitution, indicate a shift toward weakening rights for those most in need.
Amnesty warns that undermining Article 3 and Article 8 protections will not fix asylum pressures. Instead it will create a two tier system in which some families and lives are treated as disposable.
Public strongly rejects political interference with rights
Polling commissioned by Amnesty International UK shows strong opposition to any weakening of the ECHR:
• 48% of UK adults say the UK should remain part of the ECHR, while only 26% support withdrawal, a near 2 to 1 margin in favour of staying
• 87% agree rights and laws must apply equally to everyone, rejecting selective or politically motivated restrictions
• 78% believe rights should be permanent, not something a government can reduce
These findings show that, despite political pressure, the public remains committed to universal and binding human rights protections, not temporary concessions or politically convenient reinterpretations.
As the summit approaches, Amnesty urges the UK government and all participating states to reaffirm, not rewrite, what human rights stand for. Weakening these protections would betray decades of human rights leadership, endanger lives and cast a long-lasting moral shadow over the UK’s commitment to justice and dignity.
ENDS