The Camden Liberal Democrats on the seafront in Bournemouth

THE rise of nationalist demonstrations is directly linked to the Labour government’s “disappointing parroting” of Reform rhetoric, the leader of Camden Liberal Democrats said, as his party took a strong pro-immigration stance at its autumn conference this week.

Councillor Tom Simon said Sir Keir Starmer had been pandering to the far right and this risked legitimising the thinking behind the recent mass march in central London organised by Tommy Robinson.

He said the wave of discontent was caused by an increasing gap between the wealthy and poor, and called for heavier tax on the tech companies to fund a programme of social justice policies.

Locally, he wants Camden to sell off of the Crowndale Centre building to fund projects here.

Cllr Simon was speaking on Monday in Bournemouth ahead of a party motion suggesting Camden is reaffirmed as a “borough of sanctuary” by the council.

He said: “You can understand somebody who feels like they are missing out in society, and their housing and healthcare isn’t good enough. Then they read stories, or hear stuff on TikTok about people going to the front of the queue. You can understand the people who are saying ‘what’s going on?’

“But with people like that, it is about saying: what is it you are actually concerned about? Because whatever is going on is not the fault of the mum who has come from Ukraine, or the guy from Afghanistan. They are people too. We have a responsibility to them too.

“The fact that our MP for Holborn and St Pancras is more or less parroting what Rishi Sunak was saying before and very similar to Reform is so disappointing. It makes you think ‘hang on a sec?’ Labour’s policy appears to be the same. It’s all ‘stop the boats’, ‘illegal’ immigration, ‘crack’ down on this, crack down on that.

“Why not talk about immigration in the context of the incredible benefits it brings to the economy in an important way. How it’s holding up the NHS? Almost all of them are good, hard-working people who help.”

He added: “We are talking about reconfirming our commitment to being a borough of sanctuary.

“There is a link between the language coming from Keir Starmer and the government about immigration and the 150,000 people on the streets, scaring a lot of people in the community. Things are really coming to the forefront now and you have to say these principles matter.”

Many of the politicians and party faithful at conference were taking a strong pro-immigration position.

and party leader Sir Ed Davey name-checked a threat from Nigel Farage in his main speech rather than trying to defeat old rivals from Labour and the Tories.

But with the party positioning itself as a serious opposition, it is also being asked about where they will find the money for policies to help those struggling.

Cllr Simon said: “The UK has become more and more unequal over time, and there is a really serious problem with some of the discontent that is firing people towards Farage and Robinson.

“I’m interested in some kind of wealth tax, although I don’t know enough about taxation. I am also in favour of a tax on the tech barons.

“Those companies do a lot of good, and a lot of bad. There is a lack of accountability there. There is so much money there. I don’t think that we get enough of a contribution to society given amount they’re benefiting from our data – often without us realising.”

The long-held Lib Dem view that marketing the Crowndale Centre would be wise has repeatedly been shot down by Labour council chiefs as selling the family silver.

But Cllr Simon said: “Sell the Crowndale and there is almost a shopping list of things you could spend it on. We have talked about using that revenue to tackling anti social behaviour, rubbish, temporary accommodation. We also think could we could be renting out more space at 5PS – that building could be better utilised.”

Cllr Simon said that he had joined the party in 2006 at a time when he was still “trying to become a barrister” and when civil liberties, internationalism and ID cards were important agendas for him.

The Lib Dems are in confident mood with 72 MPs in House of Commons and local party members are basking in what they are calling the “whampglow” after a landslide by-election in West Hampstead last month.

Cllr Simon said the first time he had started thinking about budgets was in a lesson at Year 9 while at William Ellis School.

He said: “I remember really distinctly our head of year, where some kids were throwing text books across the classroom, and he got so angry. You know when a grown up gets angry in a way that’s different.

“He said to us that his annual budget per pupil for books for the year was 50p. Even then that was nothing. The books were getting damaged. It made me think.”

Cllr Simon said the party was currently working on its manifesto for next May’s council elections.

The party is expected to target fresh gains in the north west of the borough.