Compassion transcends divisions at Labour Conference

Seeing a political party in action for yourself is one of the best things about attending party conferences.

By Sonya Sceats, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Freedom from Torture

At this year's Labour Party conference, the media was mainly interested in 'Corbynista' versus 'Moderniser' factional politics. But across more than 50 small venues around Liverpool's Albert Dock, vibrant policy discussions took place.

Immigration and refugees were especially hot topics this year and there were intense debates about the direction of Labour policy.

Rooms overflowed with MPs and party members discussing the principle of free movement for the Brexit negotiations. Some called for restrictions on EU migrant workers in future to protect the domestic labour market and stop any haemorrhaging of Labour's traditional working class vote. Others challenged this in the name of international worker solidarity and pushed for tougher action instead on exploitative employers.

Jeremy Corbyn told the conference he will not "sow division or fan the flames of fear" and announced plans to restore the "migrant impact fund" to tackle the effects of immigration on low paid workers.

Party leader, and constituency MP for our London centre, Jeremy Corbyn told the conference he will not "sow division or fan the flames of fear" and announced plans to restore the "migrant impact fund" to tackle the effects of immigration on low paid workers.

Compassion for torture survivors and other refugees transcends Labour divisions on immigration. I lost count of the number of times our patron Lord Dubs and Yvette Cooper MP were cheered as heroes for keeping up pressure on the government to resettle lone child and Syrian refugees. Many MPs and activists voiced their anger that even these modest pledges have led to so few arrivals.

Echoing evidence during his "listening tour" from the Survivors Speak OUT network at Freedom from Torture, Keir Starmer MP spoke at multiple fringe events against a "two tier" system that is emerging for refugees resettled here from camps and those granted protection after claiming asylum in the UK.

It was good to hear Keir Starmer reject Theresa May's plan to narrow the legal definition of "refugee". He told Labour delegates that Britain has "a fine tradition" of honouring its international protection obligations and "the Refugee Convention should be protected". We look forward to working with politicians from across the political spectrum to stop any attacks on this important international guarantor of safety for those fleeing torture.

Keir Starmer MP spoke at multiple fringe events against a "two tier" system that is emerging for refugees resettled here from camps and those granted protection after claiming asylum in the UK.

"What type of country are we becoming?" This was the question asked by Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Home Secretary about the rise in hate crime after the EU referendum.

One of the other great pleasures of representing Freedom from Torture at party conferences is the chance to meet supporters who are members of political parties and other party activists interested to learn about the support we provide to torture survivors in the UK.

So many Labour delegates told me of their horror at the spike in racist attacks against torture survivors in treatment at Freedom from Torture and other migrants in this country. 

Following our huge presence at the march for refugees in London, I brought hundreds of our blue pins and they flew out of my hands. Solidarity with torture survivors is alive and well in the Labour Party.

Next week we are off to lobby politicians and meet Freedom from Torture supporters at the Conservative Party conference - stay tuned for more blogs.