UK downgraded in global ratings report on civic freedoms
Today (16 March) the UK has been downgraded from ‘narrowed’ to ‘obstructed’ in CIVICUS Monitor’s annual report on the state of civil society and civic freedoms, People Power Under Attack 2022.
Historically regarded as one of the most stable democracies, an ‘obstructed’ rating means civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, are now being continuously undermined in the United Kingdom.
According to the report, the government’s introduction of a range of restrictive laws, including the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act which came into effect in April 2022 and the Public Order Bill, currently going through Parliament, alongside authorities’ continuous restrictions on protests, are highlighted as key violations of civic freedoms contributing to the downgrade.
Civic freedoms in 197 countries and territories are categorised as either closed, repressed, obstructed, narrowed or open, based on a methodology that combines several sources of data on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression.
Other obstructed countries include Poland, Hungary, Brazil, South Africa and Sri Lanka. There are 40 other countries in total with this rating.
In reaction to the report, Stephanie Draper, CEO of Bond said:
“The downgrade reflects the worrying trends we are seeing in restrictions across civil society that are threatening our democracy. The government should be setting a positive example to countries that have clamped down on civic space. The UK is becoming increasingly authoritarian and is among concerning company in the CIVICUS Monitor ratings as restrictive laws and dangerous rhetoric are creating a hostile environment towards civil society in the UK. Decision makers across all political parties should be alarmed and make it a priority to protect our rights and freedoms.”
Aarti Narsee, European Civic Forum, Policy and advocacy officer, said:
“Instead of restricting the fundamental right to protest and those taking to the streets to hold the government accountable, the government should reaffirm its commitment to protecting civil liberties and human rights by dismantling colonial practices, which are clearly evident in its repeated targeting of excluded groups, including those fighting for racial justice and refugees and asylum seekers rights.”
Sue Tibballs, Sheila McKechnie Foundation, said:
“To see the UK’s civic space downgraded to ‘obstructed’ is heart-breaking, but not surprising. A narrative is being crafted in the UK that politics should be left to politicians. Party politics is one thing, but politics with a small ‘p’ belongs to all of us and our civic space is where we explore challenges and ideas as a society. An open civic space supports a healthy democracy and it is the duty of the government to protect both.”
Ruth Ehrlich, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Liberty, said:
“We all want our elected governments to protect the basic principles of democracy, yet this downgrade shows how this government has repeatedly worked to put itself above all accountability. The Public Order Bill threatens the right to protest for all of us, and will put at greater risk some of the most marginalised communities in the UK. Alongside this, recent plans in the Illegal Migration Bill cruelly remove basic human rights from refugees coming to the UK. It is clear that civil liberties in the UK are not just under threat, but are actively being stripped away. This report is a rallying cry to all those who care about human rights to come together and resist this power grab.”
The downgrading of the UK is also supported by The Sheila McKechnie Foundation’s annual campaigner survey dedicated to tracking the experience of people involved in social change. Each year the survey provides a snapshot of the conditions in which campaigners operate, the challenges they face and their relationships with other stakeholders.
The results of this year’s survey support CIVICUS’ downgrading of civic space. The research shows that 94% of respondents feel there are threats to the freedom to organise, contribute to public debate, influence political decisions, or protest. Asked specifically about what threatens civic space; 94% highlighted negative rhetoric towards campaigning from politicians and the media; as well as 92% thinking recent and emerging legislation posed a threat.
Politicians were seen as the group most negative of campaigning, with 72 % of people saying they had become more negative in the last year. A staggering 43 % of respondents revealed they had censored themselves in the last year for fear of political backlash.
