‘Britain’s proud legacy is at risk but Labour’s leadership can save it’

As the dust settles on the Labour and Conservative party conferences, several clear dividing lines have emerged between Westminster’s two largest parties. Among the most significant is Kemi Badenoch’s pledge that the Conservatives would leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if they win the next election.

This policy is not just ill-informed; it also undermines Britain’s long-standing tradition of providing sanctuary to those in desperate need. In 1938 and 1939, the UK welcomed 10,000 unaccompanied children on the Kindertransport, mainly from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. I was one of those children, fortunate enough to be later reunited with my parents and to build a life in a new country. 

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Since then, the UK has offered safe haven to children from the Basque region, Holocaust survivors, and refugees fleeing Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Uganda, Vietnam, Bosnia, Kosovo, and, most recently, Ukraine. This is a legacy of which Britain can be justly proud – but one that is now under threat.

The Conservative and Reform parties’ arguments for withdrawal risk undermining a century of progress. The promise of human rights, enshrined in post-war settlements that have shaped our laws, society, and democracy, are fundamental to Britain. Exploiting a period of global instability to suggest that agreements like the Refugee Convention and ECHR are outdated or unworkable is both dangerous and reductive.

It is therefore heartening to see the Prime Minister and Home Secretary publicly rejecting calls to abandon these treaties and the international cooperation they embody. Yet, the government still faces a tightrope walk on migration and asylum. The Prime Minister has stated that we must uphold the right to seek asylum and maintain control of our borders. The challenge ahead is how to achieve this balance.

The British public is far more sympathetic and generous than recent headlines might suggest. This summer, while media and political focus lingered on sometimes violent protests outside asylum hotels, the number of volunteers offering their homes to refugees rose to record levels. In July, the charity Refugees at Home recorded its greatest number of summer placements ever. Britain’s instinct remains to help those in need.

As the post-war generation built our human rights protections, so it now falls to progressives to mount a robust defence of these principles, or risk seeing them cast aside. The reality is that refugees will continue to arrive. Movements of people into Europe are likely to become the norm as climate change brings more frequent droughts and floods, and as conflicts and instability persist worldwide.

Addressing this challenge requires bold, new thinking to shape a fair, fast, and compassionate asylum system. Innovative ideas are already being proposed, such as those in The Future Governance Forum’s ‘Future of Asylum – a vision for renewal’ essay collection, with contributions from charities, housing associations, and Parliament suggesting practical steps for government to restore confidence in the system while defending fundamental rights. 

We need more of this kind of creative, solutions-driven approach, addressing housing and sponsorship, and upholding the principles that have long defined us.

It is essential, however, that Labour does not fall into the trap of mixed messaging on asylum. Suggestions by the Prime Minister the day after his speech that refugees have a ‘golden ticket’ for simply wanting to reunite with their family, risk strengthening the voices of those who wish to paint all refugees as undeserving. The party must present a unified, principled stance, avoiding any ambiguity that could undermine public trust or cede ground to those intent on stoking fear and division. 

Sir Keir Starmer’s party conference speech was a clear demonstration of positive, passionate leadership – one that Labour must now rally behind, ensuring that every spokesperson and policy reflects the same clarity and compassion.      

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The government should build on this momentum to shift the narrative on asylum away from the divisive rhetoric of the far right, and towards a new, forward-thinking, progressive politics. We must explain the horrors that force people to flee, and demonstrate through both words and actions why providing a welcome is preferable to showing hostility. 

The case for greater international cooperation, including Europe-wide agreements on managing and accommodating asylum seekers and refugees, must be made forcefully and unambiguously. Above all, we must find new ways to forge social bonds across differences and, crucially, bring public opinion with us.

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Britain’s proud history of providing sanctuary should not be squandered. With clear, consistent messaging, and by following Keir Starmer’s strong and principled lead, Labour can help ensure that the UK remains a beacon of hope and humanity for generations to come.

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