2023 saw local elections in York, with Labour gaining control of the City Council, replacing the Liberal Democrat and Green Party coalition. We would like to thank the members of that coalition who have worked with us to try and ensure the protection of human rights in the city. We would also like to welcome the new Labour administration and look forward to developing a fruitful working relationship with its members.
There were a number of positive developments in the city in 2023.
A decision was taken by the new administration, based on its manifesto pledge, to reverse the ban on disabled people using their Blue Badge to enter certain parts of the city centre. This has been one of the most prominent human rights issues in the city in recent years, and we commend the tireless work of disability campaigners who fought to have the ban reversed and to ensure that the rights of disabled people are respected in York.
Another welcome development was the pledge by the new Council administration to deliver free school meals to every primary school in York, to be achieved through a community fund.
There were also important initiatives on race and on poverty. 2023 saw the publication of Inclusive Equal Rights UK’s Anti- Racism and Inclusion Strategy, an important step forward in trying to bring ethnic and racial equality to York; while the city’s Poverty Truth Commission continued its work, with a group of Community and Civic Commissioners collaborating together to identify changes that are needed to benefit those experiencing poverty in the city.
Among the challenges facing the city was the continuing cost-of- living crisis. Across the UK, rapidly rising prices for essential goods and services placed pressure on households to make ends meet.
This crisis exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic inequalities, given that low-income families spend larger amounts of their income on essential items. The impact of the crisis has been felt in York, highlighting the very real poverty that exists in the city.
In our report, we try to measure the impact of this crisis, and other factors, on the protection of human rights in York. In order to do this, we look to a set of five priority human rights: the right to equality and non- discrimination, the right to education, the right to health and social care, the right to housing, and the right to a decent standard of living.
As with previous years, there have been areas in which the city has struggled and others in which it has done well. The number of hate crimes committed in the city remains worryingly high. A substantial number of such crimes are race related and connected to the night- time economy. They involve the abuse of staff in bars and nightclubs, sometimes by visitors from outside of the city. 2023 also saw an increase in the number of homophobic and transphobic hate crimes committed in the city.
In terms of the right to housing, there has been a rise in the number of households, and children, in temporary accommodation. With regard to the right to a decent standard of living, the number of people using the Trussell Trust foodbank in the city continues to increase.
In addition to documenting progress relating to the five priority human rights, the report, as in previous years, also highlights other important human rights issues in the city, beyond our specific indicators. For example, we cite the concerns raised over mental health care in York, the recently introduced autism and ADHD pilot for adults, and the lack of adequate provision of Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in the city.
Many of the challenges the city faces are interlinked. The rise in foodbank use does not simply reflect higher food prices, but the fact that, for many, their income has become insufficient to meet their needs.
The mental health crisis does not exist in a vacuum. It is reflective of the fact that many members of the community are struggling to cope with the challenges they have had to face in recent years. The response to these challenges, therefore, also needs to be an integrative one, using the knowledge and talent that exists in different organisations in the city in order to find holistic solutions, within the context of national constraints.
Despite the challenges the city faces, much has been done to protect those who have been suffering during the cost-of-living crisis. The City Council declared a cost-of-living emergency in 2022 and provided payments through its Financial Assistance Scheme. Further, York’s community groups, foodbanks, and volunteers have provided assistance and support to many of the city’s residents.
There was also good news in relation to some of our indicators. The proportion of 16-17 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEETs) has continued to fall. Further, an increased proportion of service users reported that they had sufficient social contact. Other indicators show positive signs but come with caveats.
For example, 2023 saw a reduction in the gender pay gap in York. However, it is still worryingly large. We have also seen the gap between those on average incomes and those on low incomes narrowing, albeit with some concern over the rate of growth of average wages. Finally, child poverty statistics indicate that there has been a decrease in the number of children in York living in poverty. However, other measures suggest a more complicated picture.
At an organisational level, the York Human Rights City Network (YHRCN) has continued to rebuild its relationship with the City Council after the disagreements over the Blue Badge issue. Steps have been taken to relaunch the Human Rights and Equalities Board (HREB) in 2024. The HREB institutionalises the Council’s, and more broadly the city’s, commitment to being a human rights city by providing strategic direction for local human rights and equalities work, and by acting on concerns raised in the YHRCN’s Indicator Reports. The new terms of reference for the Board include important changes designed to give it a more visible, robust and dynamic presence in the city. We welcome the new administration’s plans to make Equalities and Human Rights one of its four priorities.
Finally, the Network would like to reiterate that the role of ensuring the protection of rights in York is not solely reserved for the City Council. It is a goal that other statutory bodies, charities, and even individuals can collaboratively seek to achieve. We know that resources are stretched. The squeezing of local authority budgets over the past decade is well documented with a recent report highlighting the particularly low levels of funding received by the City of York Council. Added to this is the problem of the often short-term nature of the funding that is provided, making it difficult for local authorities to engage in long-term planning. The community and voluntary sectors have also been impacted by the harsh economic climate of recent years, as have other agencies.
However, York is a resilient city, with an abundance of talent, energy and ideas. Whilst pressure must be maintained on central government to provide adequate funding and resources, we, as a city, must also redouble our efforts to ensure that our most vulnerable residents are cared for and that their basic human rights are respected.
