Human rights no longer a "top priority" to UK government

Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Secretary at Britain's Foreign Office, admitted recently to British MPs that issues concerning human rights are no longer given the attention of the UK government that they used to be. McDonald went further to say that human rights (as a part of foreign policy) have now been overshadowed by the need to "promote British companies abroad," a strategy McDonald refers to as the "prosperity agenda."

The comments came as a shock to many human rights organizations which count on states such as Britain for continued support in pursuing violations of human rights. McDonald's speech was especially surprising in light of recent turmoil in the Middle East and Syria.

Both Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch have expressed concern over the comments and have vowed to look further into the issue. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office has rebuked McDonald's statement, saying that human rights are still as important a topic as ever and that they are "intrinsically linked" with Britain's foreign policy. Further speculation arises due to a change in the Foreign Office's leadership a year ago with the appointment of Philip Hammond, the new Foreign Secretary. After the change, some say, human rights began to fall by the wayside as focus shifted towards economic strategies instead. It will be interesting to see in the near-future where Britain focuses its alliances and where it draws the line.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/human-rights-are-no-longer-a-top-priority-for-the-government-says-foreign-office-chief-a6677661.html

Samantha Johnson