Jan Savage

YouGov research published by the Scottish Human Rights Commission shows that almost half of people in Scotland support human rights. Support for human rights has increased by six per cent since 2017 to 48 per cent of Scots.

The new research also shows an increase in concern from people about experiencing fewer human rights in Scotland and a third of Scots think the Scottish government should do more to improve human rights.

The commission asked public opinion specialists YouGov to carry out research to investigate public attitudes towards human rights in Scotland and publishes these results ahead of Human Rights Day on Sunday 10 December 2023, which this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The key findings are:

• Research shows support for human rights in Scotland has increased by six per cent since 2017 to 48 per cent and is the largest group in each Scottish region.
• There is an increase in concern from people about experiencing fewer human rights in Scotland, with 60 per cent ‘worried’, compared to 52 per cent in 2017.
• A third of Scots either believe the Scottish government should do more (33 per cent), or is doing enough (32 per cent)
• Fewer Scots would know who to contact about a human rights issue now (22 per cent) than in 2017 (27 per cent)
• Many Scots expressed concerns about the human rights protections of people living in vulnerable situations and considered the rights of minority groups and people living in poverty to be under threat.

The research methodology included an online survey of 1,401 adults in Scotland and four online focus groups to review how people responded to key messages on human rights. Figures have been weighted and are representative of all Scottish adults.

Jan Savage, executive director of the commission, said: “Sunday 10th December 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human rights belong to every one of us, and they exist in the lives, communities and attitudes of real people in real places. Our timely new research shows a significant increase both in support for human rights, and in concern about the prospect of people experiencing fewer human rights in Scotland.

“This report helps us understand public attitudes towards human rights and gives us a more detailed picture of how public views on human rights in Scotland are evolving over time.

“It also shows that fewer people know where to go for help about their human rights. This is a concern for the Commission.

“These findings help us identify areas of focus for the Commission’s next Strategic Plan 2024-28, which we will lay before the Scottish Parliament in early 2024. Our findings will also be of interest to duty bearers, regulators and elected representatives who have responsibilities to uphold human rights.”