Jewish former Labour MP 'moved to tears' over conference welcome

A former Jewish Labour MP was ‘moved to tears’ as she attended her first party conference for five years after resigning.

Luciana Berger received a standing ovation before speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The Jewish politician was one of six who resigned from Labour in 2019 in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

At the time, the party was under fire for being antisemitic, with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launching an investigation into Labour in May 2019. Earlier this year, the EHRC confirmed it was no longer monitoring the party.

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The former MP told a Labour First rally: “It means so much to be here. This is the first rally that I’m speaking at Labour Party conference this year. And it means so much to be home in the Labour Party because the Labour Party is my home and for too long it wasn’t.”

She also paid tribute to Labour First for being the “voice of moderation during what has been some extremely dark times”. Ms Berger, who was MP for Liverpool Wavertree from 2010-19, said the party was ‘very different’ from the one she left.

She added: “If you’d have asked me a few years ago, if we’d be where we are today, I’d have said it was an incredible challenge, a mountain to climb and just to see the numbers of people in this room and where the party has got to… this is not the party that I left.

“This is not the conference that I was at for the last time five years ago. Also, sadly with police support. It is a very different conference and, more importantly, it’s a very different party.”

In confirming the