The UK director of Amnesty International, this week warned that the Brexit Bill will substantially reduce human rights in the UK.

 

Amnesty Internationals extensive report also says that the UK’s decision not to convert the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into domestic law through the Withdrawal Bill will further harm UK citizens and strip them of protections they may not even know they currently have.

 

The Government claims that it doesn’t need to convert the Charter into domestic law because the fundamental principles which underpin it will continue post Brexit regardless of whether it signs the Charter.

 

These claims from Amnesty aren’t about the so called ‘project fear’, indeed its UK director, Kate Allen, said: “You don’t have to be pro or anti Brexit to see that without reform the Bill will substantially reduce rights in the UK.”

 

In its extensive report the charity also warned that Britain will be in a race to be a global leader and its race to the top – something David Davis also promised in his Vienna Speech this week when he said the UK would be in the race to the top- human rights wills suffer. The report says that in a rush to sign new trade deals “there is a growing risk the UK will soft pedal on human rights around the world.”

 

Theresa May has convened her cabinet this week to discuss the next steps for Brexit, and she hinted the Cabinet will stay up all night if necessary, in order presumably to get some clarity on what it plans to do. The Government’s immediate direction is muddy and its strategic planning is no better. This is not what people voted for. There is no clarity and no certainty, while in contrast we are entering a period of risk – as the Amnesty report illustrates very well.