Diane Abbott accused the Tories of ‘weaponising’ immigration to capitalise on voters’ fear today.
The shadow home secretary used her main speech to Labour conference in Brighton to insist her party would take a measured approach to controlling the border.
But Ms Abbott’s address to party delegates did nothing to end continued confusion over exactly what Labour would do in power to cut arrivals in Britain.
Her speech came as senior Labour MP Clive Lewis told the that Brexit voters’ opposition to EU free movement is fuelled by racism.
Diane Abbott (pictured today at the LKabour conference in Brighton) accused the Tories of ‘weaponising’ immigration to capitalise on voters’ fear
Ms Abbott was welcomed onto the conference stage by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for her main speech to delegates (pictured)
She said: ‘Tory opportunism on immigration is a disgrace. They continue to talk about bogus immigration targets, which they have not met and will never meet.
‘The Tories have weaponised immigration. They have pandered to anti-immigrant sentiment whatever the cost to the economy and communities.’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn today refused to make the party’s position on EU free movement clear as he acknowledged concerns on his own side about any cuts to arrivals.
In her speech, Ms Abbott said Labour would end indefinite immigration detention and review the Prevent anti-extremist strategy.
She said: ‘There are real labour market issues in relation to immigration – but the Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn will never scapegoat immigrants for these issues.
‘Labour in government will work across departments to counter the effects of deregulation, liberalisation and the weakening of trade-union rights and freedoms.’
Ms Abbott said there was increasing concern that Prevent is a tainted brand that is not fit for purpose.
She said: ‘Trampling on our civil liberties will do the terrorists’ work for them.
‘Because what makes us free is what makes us safe – and what makes us safe is what will make us free.’
Ms Abbott also stressed the nation cannot be kept secure ‘on the cheap’ as she pledged to reverse funding cuts and recruit 10,000 new officers.
The Government is boosting its total spending on counter-terrorism by 30%, from £11.7 billion to £15.1 billion.
However, Sara Thornton, head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, has argued the amount allocated from that budget to policing, which currently totals around £700 million a year, is set to be cut by 7.2 per cent in the next three years.
Ms Abbott said: ‘The truth is that austerity undermines policing and community safety in just the same way that it undermines our health service.
‘We see the consequence of this around us, with rising levels of homicide, knife and gun crime – and the police themselves are suffering from spiralling levels of overwork and stress.
‘Labour in government will work to make communities safe. We will recruit 10,000 new police officers working in the community.’
Ms Abbott and Mr Corbyn won a standing ovation from a hall packed with supporters in Brighton today as surprise election progress saw Labour moderates back away
On Grenfell Tower, Ms Abbott said the blaze symbolised the Conservatives’ failure and that the failure ‘goes further than the borough council’.
‘Events at Grenfell are also a direct consequence of deregulation of fire standards and inspection, privatisation and outsourcing.
‘We demand justice for the Grenfell survivors – they will not be forgotten.
‘We demand an immigration amnesty for former Grenfell residents so they all feel able to come forward for help.’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in the conference hall today) earlier refused in a TV to make the party’s position on EU free movement clear as he acknowledged concerns on his own side about any cuts to arrivals
Labour delegates queuing up for the conference in Brighton today are set to spend four days by the seaside debating politics
She added: ‘Labour in government will recruit 3,000 additional firefighters and we fully support the campaigning of the Fire Brigades Union, against the cuts.’
In other developments on immigration today, senior Labour MP Clive Lewis told the BBC Sunday Politics that opposition to EU free movement is fuelled by racism.
He said: ‘I actually believe in freedom of movement. You are talking about managing migration.
‘You are not going to like to hear this: it always comes back down to something the Left in this country has very much difficulty with, which is that it is ultimately about racism.
‘It comes down to racism.’
On the same programme, ex Labour minister Caroline Flint hit back: ‘You do not respect the will of the people.
‘You don’t want any immigration controls at all.’