It is a national disgrace that thousands of refugee children are being denied the shelter they deserve

I wasn’t at Labour Party conference this year. I’m on maternity leave with my son  and I’ve been following it by way of social media, television, and gossip. It’s been an interesting experience; what  I’ve lost in karaoke and warm white wine (I’m experiencing similar levels of sleep deprivation) I have, in all honesty, gained by seeing more of the speeches in the conference hall than if I were actually there.

And so, from the comfort of my living room with my infant son by my side, I watched Nick Forbes talk about the children in the Calais Jungle. While it doesn’t have the publicity of the big set pieces, the leader of the LGA Labour Group’s is an important speech, and this year it has been widely praised for its challenge to Theresa May. Because Nick is right – the very existence of the Jungle is a disgrace, and the presence there of unaccompanied children is horrifying. And he has shone a light on the frustration that many in local government feel as we fight for something that should have been given freely by central government: the opportunity to help. As France plans to shut the Jungle down and disperse the refugees who are there, we must act.

I made the case to Boris Johnson at City Hall earlier this year that he and his colleagues in Downing Street should be working with us to protect the vulnerable of the victims of conflict. I wasn’t alone: representatives from councils across London offered help, insight and support, and they did so because although we have little enough ourselves following the government’s savage cuts to our core funding, we must find a way to take those children out of that camp and give them shelter. He was, naturally, willing to agree that something should be done and, of course, unwilling to commit to exactly what.

The needs of these children are the same as for the children we see every day in our own communities: decent housing, an education, and someone to look after them. Local authorities already provide these for vulnerable children, and we can and should extend that care to unaccompanied child refugees. These young people started no conflicts and are powerless to stop them but they bear the full consequences of the actions – and inaction – of others.

In May the Dubs Amendment was included in the Immigration Act, committing the government to action. However, nearly five months later thousands of children – alone, frightened, and hungry – are still being denied the shelter they deserve. This an extraordinary response from the Conservative government, who may not have been willing supporters of the amendment but are still duty bound to act on it.

While we in local government continue to make the case to central government for adequate resources, we don’t have much. However, it is our clear moral obligation to help those with nothing – and by spreading the burden between us we can do it. Council leaders across the country have stepped forward with offers of help and demands for action and Theresa May has an opportunity to redress the mistakes her predecessor made. He had a visible lack of understanding of what councils do for the most needy, and how they should be supported.

My Lambeth colleague Paul McGlone wrote movingly about his visit to the Jungle last month, and I would urge anyone who questions why we must act to read his blog. We have just welcomed four Syrian families to Lambeth and will take in more. Unaccompanied children should not spend another night in the Calais Jungle when we are willing to help.

Watching something from a distance doesn’t mean you have to detach yourself from it completely, as I have found this week. And as we see  what happens to the unaccompanied child refugees, we will find out whether any substance lies behind Theresa May’s rhetoric of fairness and compassion.

How can the Prime Minister rationalise to herself a situation where people stand ready to accept children who are vulnerable, blameless and desperately in need, and those with the power to make it happen do nothing? These children are just a few hours away from safety. What are Home Office officials doing that is more important? For bureaucracy and inertia to be holding this up is a national disgrace. There is already a stain on her premiership and Nick Forbes has shown her how to deal with it. I hope she listens.

Imogen Walker is Deputy Leader (Finance) of the London Borough of Lambeth