Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
I recently delivered the third in a series of keynote speeches on the subject of immigration as shadow home secretary.
In the first speech I dealt with Labour’s values as they apply to immigration. Specifically, I pledged to uphold the right to a family life and explained that, under Labour, for all those entitled to be here, there’ll be no deportations of family members or exclusion of family members.
In my second speech I tackled the issue of the Windrush scandal and how this related to the Tories’ “hostile environment” policies.
My central point here was that the Windrush scandal did not fall from the sky but was a product of the Tories’ “hostile environment” policy and laid out in the Immigration Act of 2014, both of which will go under Labour.
DIANE ABBOTT warns that Shabana Mahmood’s draconian asylum proposals fuel racist scapegoating and risk demoralising Labour’s base – potentially paving the way for Farage to No 10
The visa system traps workers with abusive employers, creating a vulnerable workforce scared to complain for fear of deportation — that is why we’re campaigning for a ‘common sponsorship’ model instead, writes FAVOUR DAVIDKING
CLAUDIA WEBBE argues that Labour gains nothing from its adoption of right-wing stances on immigration, and seems instead to be deliberately paving the way for the far right to become an established force in British politics, as it has already in Europe
DIANE ABBOTT exposes the misconceptions, rumours and downright lies perpetrated around immigration issues


