THE countdown to Christmas is well under way as we mark Human Rights Day. This time of year is an opportunity to come together, but it also reminds us of the hardship faced by many.
Last month, polling found that nearly two-thirds of people across the UK, including in Scotland, fear financial struggles will cast a shadow over the holidays. The same number of people surveyed also believe that poverty is worsening.
Those are statistics that should grab the attention of every political leader, including those in Scotland about to campaign to form the next government.
Whoever wants the keys to Bute House next May will need to offer real solutions to the challenges people are experiencing. Too often the rebuttal to calls for basic fairness and dignity from all governments is that there isn’t a magic money tree.
We have heard enough of the “tough talk” fuelling division and leaving migrants and refugees as scapegoats from politicians across the UK. Any candidate who fans those flames in Scotland in the lead-up to May will be doing so in the full knowledge that racist rhetoric leads to racist violence.
We need an honest discussion about who these narratives really benefit. When so much of the political and media agenda is dominated by stories about people who are simply seeking safety,
what are we not talking about? The truth is that the resources exist to protect everyone.
As the anti-human rights voices in the UK and around the world grow louder, 2026 can be a moment of possibility in Scotland if candidates and party leaders focus their attention on the many people who just want to see action taken towards building a fair society.
In the lead-up to the election, Amnesty and our supporters will be making the case for human rights laws to create a fairer, more equal Scotland. This week we published our manifesto, which calls on all parties to back a new law to protect everyone’s right to a decent standard of living.
READ MORE: On Human Rights Day, let's ask for compassion, for peace, and for understanding
A human rights bill should have been passed in this session but was dropped from the Scottish Government’s legislative plan.
The bill would have enshrined economic, social and cultural rights – the rights everyone needs to live a good life – as well as protections for women, people discriminated against because of colour or race, and disabled people.
Crucially, the bill would bring together a raft of protections that can be used by everyone into one law here in Scotland.
We all deserve a warm home, proper healthcare and a financial safety net. None of those things are too much to ask for, but right now, all levels of government are failing people in one way or another.
Strong human rights laws allow us to challenge power and press for accountability when we need to. A human rights bill is a vital tool to empower us to fight back when we don’t get fair treatment from the institutions that are supposed to protect everyone.
So as we head into campaign season next year, there should be one question we all ask of our political leaders and candidates: Why do they want the keys to Bute House?
Is it so they can manage decline as living standards drop and NHS waiting lists soar? Or is it so that they can listen and learn about the inequalities people are experiencing and act to start building a better future?
Amnesty and many others are constantly pushing for change at a UK level – we know every problem can’t be solved by the Scottish Government.
But with power comes responsibility, and those seeking it next May must set out to protect everyone in Scotland and be prepared to go as far as possible in securing strong legal safeguards for our fundamental rights.
Share