Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl) (Maiden Speech):...My dad came to
this country as a 10 year-old Jewish refugee in 1939. The rest of
his family were murdered in Treblinka. He was so dismayed to see an
organisation so robust and important to our democracy, and which
had such a proud record of fighting racism, as the Labour Party
embroiled in anti-Semitism over the last few years. This terrible
situation led to me leaving the party which I had been so proud to
serve all my life. It is a shame...Request free trial
(Non-Afl) (Maiden Speech):...My dad came
to this country as a 10 year-old Jewish refugee in 1939. The rest
of his family were murdered in Treblinka. He was so dismayed to see
an organisation so robust and important to our democracy, and which
had such a proud record of fighting racism, as the Labour Party
embroiled in anti-Semitism over the last few years. This terrible
situation led to me leaving the party which I had been so proud to
serve all my life. It is a shame that my parents were not alive to
see me join your Lordships’ House, but it is a great thing about
our country that the son of a refugee can end up here. I intend to
use this great privilege to speak up for the values that he taught
me and which I have believed in all my life: democracy, equality,
freedom, fairness and tolerance; listening to other people and
trying to find compromise; and the power of education to open up
opportunity, and bring good jobs and prosperity to people left
behind for too long....
