EIGHT hundred years on from Magna Carta, pictured, which set out for the first time the basic right of the individual to challenge the powerful, that legacy is under threat.

At Southampton Amnesty International group we know how vital human rights protections are abroad, but here at home they are sometimes taken for granted.

The Human Rights Act has allowed elderly couples here to challenge their separation from each other in different nursing homes, a mother who was a victim of domestic violence to get her children back, and British soldiers to challenge the inadequate kit they were given.

These are just some examples of how our precious hard-won rights make a difference to ordinary people.

As the election approaches, Amnesty is calling on all political parties to stand up and do ‘the human rights thing’. That means protecting the Human Rights Act, which protects us all.

VALERIE OSWALD, address supplied.