With the implementation of the Human Rights Act in October 2000, civil and political rights are for the first time directly enforceable in UK law. While welcoming this significant advance, the authors argue for further legislation, extending protection to economic, social, and cultural (ESC) rights, such as the right to education, to health care, and to a decent standard of living. Poverty and social exclusion are presented as a denial of human rights, and ESC entitlements as an essential foundation of citizenship.

The report considers the nature of ESC rights and their historical...