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Taking on Trump & Farage – and fixing church roofs
Leader's Speech to Spring Conference 2025
ED
by Ed Davey
23 Mar 2025
Standing Up to Divisive Politics
LS
by Lisa Smart
14 May 2025
On Monday, Liberal Democrats forced a vote in the House of Commons on a policy that would scrap the ban on asylum seekers working if they had waited for a decision on their claim for 3 months. Sadly, it was blocked by an alliance of Conservative, Labour and Reform MPs – all voting against the national interest just so they could appear anti-immigration.
The UK has a long, proud history of welcoming newcomers – whether people seeking to build their lives here, or refugees fleeing war and persecution.
People from all over the world have greatly enriched our economy, our culture and our communities. For me, I’m immensely proud that our country took in my Nan aged 18 when she was fleeing the Nazis in 1939. I’m also really pleased the surgeon who performed my Dad’s kidney transplant brought his skills and talents to the UK having been born elsewhere.
We must do everything in our power to protect this legacy - not least after everything the Conservatives did to trash it.
They closed down safe and legal routes for refugees, putting more power in the hands of traffickers. They allowed the asylum backlog to balloon on their watch, trapping asylum seekers in limbo for months or even years. And they threatened the fundamental right to asylum with their cruel Illegal Migration Act and failed Rwanda scheme.
Now, the Labour government has a real opportunity to fix this mess and start building a more compassionate, effective system. But sadly, they have so far failed to bring forward the positive change that people deserve.
I’m deeply proud of our party’s history of standing up for people fleeing war and persecution in particular. From getting new visas introduced for Hong Kongers coming to the UK, to ending the previous Labour Government’s practice of detaining children for immigration purposes, Liberal Democrats have long been at the forefront of securing change.
I’m determined that we continue in this proud tradition - which is why I’ve been making these same arguments as the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill passed through Parliament.
First and foremost, that means pushing for more safe and legal routes for refugees. Whether that’s establishing new humanitarian travel permits, or continuing Lib Dem peer Sally Hamwee’s tireless efforts to extend family reunion rights. This will be crucial for taking power out of the hands of the criminal trafficking gangs responsible for dangerous crossings in the Channel.
At the same time, we need an asylum system that makes decisions fairly and swiftly - which is why we’ve been calling to tackle the backlog by establishing a dedicated unit to improve the speed and quality of asylum decision-making.
And we will keep pushing Labour to take the action that’s needed. If they really cared about improving integration, they would have backed our amendment this week that would have scrapped the ban on asylum seekers working. But our party won’t give up, and will now take this fight to the House of Lords.
In the face of divisive and destructive politics, it is more important than ever that the Liberal Democrats continue to offer a liberal alternative. One that is kind and compassionate - standing up for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and ensuring all migrants are treated with dignity and respect like they deserve.
I am determined to do everything in my power to ensure this is the case.
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