89up is launching a campaign to persuade the EU to ensure any free trade deal with the UK contains guarantees that the UK remains a signatory to fundamental human rights protections. You can donate to the campaign here. Sashy Nathan explains the plan.

The Prime Minister is intent on pulling the UK out of the European Union and also the European Convention on Human Rights.

Theresa May has repeatedly said she does not see the value of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The prime minister wrongly wants to undo an agreement on peace in Europe which was originally envisioned by Britain in the wake of World War 2.

Brexit could take her one step closer to withdrawing the UK from Europe’s most important human rights treaty.

“If we want to reform human rights laws in this country, it isn’t the EU we should leave but the ECHR and the jurisdiction of its court.”
Theresa May, April 2016

“Theresa May to fight 2020 election on plans to take Britain out of European Convention on Human Rights after Brexit is completed”
Daily Telegraph, December 2016

Membership of the ECHR has ensured UK citizens can challenge cover-ups like the Hillsborough tragedy, it protects people when things go wrong and they seek accountability for injustices.

With the rise of populist agendas across the continent, Theresa May’s plans could damage European peace and prosperity, triggering a domino effect of leaders across Europe abandoning human rights.

We need to make sure that the Brexit process does not make people poorer and weaker against the power of the state.

That’s why we need your help.

We want to take a delegation of civil society organisations and activists to Brussels to tell the EU they must protect human rights.

We need your support so we can lobby the most powerful decision makers in the EU to make Britain's membership of the ECHR a legally binding requirement for any future free trade deal with the UK. The rule of law and human rights are non-negotiable when new countries join the EU, they should be non-negotiable when countries leave and desire a free trade deal.

We will produce a comprehensive briefing for the EU and get into the heart of the EU Parliament and Commission to meet with decision-makers and persuade them that human rights should be part of any new UK-EU trade deal.

With your help, we can make this happen.

Please donate to our GoFundMe campaign to make our plan happen.