justice and justice towards individuals and minorities should not be in conflict . Finally , Labour " seeks the trust of the people to govern ". That is a sacred trust and one that cannot be easily sought , won or retained . However it is the ultimate point of the Labour Party . With the greatest of respect to academic institutions , debating societies and sporting clubs , it is none of these . It has members who share values but ultimately exists for the good of " the people " inside and outside itself . Anyone who undermines its mission by continually behaving contrary to " the spirit of solidarity , tolerance and respect " should seriously consider taking their grandstanding elsewhere .
Sensitivity
The Labour Party is and must continue to be the natural political home for hundreds of thousands , even millions of people , whether they actually join the Party or not ( though of course we welcome and strive for membership in ever-growing numbers ). A political home , like a domestic one , should be a place where you feel comfortable and safe even and especially when things are more difficult on the outside . It should be a place where people of shared values can disagree with kindness and civility and where difficult issues are resolved without resorting to abuse . Its club rules therefore can , and must be , tighter than outside and its atmosphere , sensitive to the diverse histories , experiences and difficulties of those who share the space and cause .
It seems completely right and natural that the Labour Party has been the instinctive political home to generations of migrants to the UK including my own parents . People who cross countries or continents in search of a different or even better life for themselves and their families are often poor , ambitious , idealistic or all three . These personal characteristics may understandably create an affinity with a modern progressive political force like Labour . The Party ' s internationalism and commitment to human rights are also likely to appeal . But for members of ethnic and religious minorities to be truly welcomed ( as opposed to merely absorbed or accommodated ) within a movement , requires a certain sensitivity to their stories and experience whether ancient or modern .
It is always worth remembering that Labour members ( regardless of their background ) are likely to be personally upset by human rights abuses , whether perpetrated by states or individuals , anywhere in the world . They must be free to criticise and condemn these abuses but never required so to do on account of their race or religion and as some kind of loyalty test . I have heard testimony from Jewish and Muslim members in particular , but also from other BAME members , who have on occasion , on account of news reports of various incidents around the world , felt the personal conflict of being asked to defend the Labour Party in general , or certain individuals in particular , to their families or communities , only then to have had to defend other countries or groups at their Party meeting for no apparent reason other than their race or religion . Sensitivity to the minority experience involves understanding what it feels like to be singled out , outnumbered and alone . No one with Labour values in their heart should ever be made to feel this way within the Party or unfairly identified with e . g . the violent or discriminatory actions of those who do not share our values at home or abroad .
As someone who has been on the receiving end of racist and other forms of hateful language and conduct in my life , I can testify not only to the hurt but the even more invidious sense of vulnerability that it can cause regardless of the true intentions or levels of ignorance of the perpetrator . Some of it can be very obvious but often ( especially in the terrain of political discourse ), it can be more subtle and harder to identify or understand without some appreciation of context and history in relation to a particular group .
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