#Brexit: UK Human Rights Commission asks political parties to engage responsibly

The Chair and Chief Executive of the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission have written to all UK political parties to discuss how it can work closely with them – either individually or collectively – to help it in its agenda to make Britain ‘the vibrant and inclusive country we believe it should be’. Following the UK’s referendum of the EU there was a surge in hate crime, migrants have also reported feeling less welcome.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission recognised that the referendum would lead to ‘robust’ debate, but writes that free and fair elections should be supported by accurate information and respectful debate. The Commission calls on elected representatives and the media, “to reflect and foster the best values in our society and engage people on contentious issues in a responsible and considered way.”

The Commission believe there is a need for a discussion on what values we hold as a country, with the implied danger that by turning its back on the EU the UK does not turn its back on the ECHR and European values.

While lipservice has been paid to brining the country back together following the referendum, the Commission feels that differences are in fact widening and exacerbating existing tensions in our society. They point to the murder of Arkadiusz Jozwick, racist, anti-semitic and homophobic attacks on the streets, and reports of hijabs being pulled off members of the public. The Commission has met community groups, representatives and diplomats who have expressed their sadness and disappointment at these events and who wish to work with it to heal the divide.

Attacks on supporters of both sides of the Brexit debate have polarised the country. Referring to the referendum campaign the Commission points to those ‘who used, and continue to use, public concern about immigration policy and the economy to legitimise hate’.

The letter requests that all politicians of all sides should be aware of the effect on national mood of their words and policies, even when they are not enacted. The letter cites the example of the proposal of the Conservative party conference for companies td be ‘named and shamed’ for employing foreign workers and also the discussion on child migrants, ‘a crisis where our record on human rights will be judged and where dialogue escalated to irrational levels’.

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