The new season of Humanists UK’s podcast What I Believe premieres today with special guest Lord Alf Dubs: Labour peer, campaigner, humanist, and former child refugee.
In the opening episode of season seven, Lord Dubs shares the memories that have shaped his life. He opens up about how key memories in his childhood – from travelling as a child refugee on Nicholas Winton’s Kindertransport to his of mother experiencing xenophobia and discrimination in England, to later being cared for by the NHS on ‘day one’ – shaped a lifetime of activism for good causes, humanist values, children’s rights, and refugees.
The podcast examines the beliefs and values of well-known humanists – campaigners, artists, writers, and entertainers who are ‘good without gods’. Asked by host Andrew Copson to describe his own worldview, Alf described his values as:
‘I suppose, a sense of wanting to support the underdog, a sense of social justice, human rights. And of course, in my case, having come as an unaccompanied child refugee to Britain’.
Alf touches on his firsthand experiences of racism and xenophobia – not only in fleeing the Holocaust, but in other more subtle ways too. Talking to Andrew Copson, he detailed one formative incident in his early years living in the UK that solidified his belief in humanism and his conviction that politics could be ‘a vehicle for achieving decent values’:
‘My mother was once turned down for a job… And she heard somebody on the interview panel say, “we’re not giving a job to that bloody foreigner”. I think I began to realise that there was a lot of discrimination… And I suppose I thought through that and decided that I would really decide that being a humanist was the right thing for me. And human rights loomed a large part of that.’
The episode also captures Lord Dubs’s defining early political moments, offering a glimpse into the beginnings of his commitment to public service and social equality.
He recalls his interest in the 1945 General Election as a child:
‘I was passionately interested in politics when I was younger. When I saw the 1945 election, I was living in Manchester then following all the details of that. Can I just tell you a little story? My mum took me to a boarding house near Blackpool. And it was the 1945 election results and because the armed forces had to have their vote sent from the Far East, they didn’t start counting until the morning. So the first results would come out at midday. And the people in the boarding house said – there was no television of course – that the BBC were going to broadcast from the town square what the early election results were as they were coming in. So I went there and I heard the results and I went back and they said, ‘Well, what is it?’ And I said very proudly something like ‘Labour, 140, Conservatives, 30’. And I heard a voice say, ‘Oh, my God, it’s the end of England!’ And I thought to myself, ‘Well, if that’s what they think, I don’t agree with them.’
As a child during a time of historic changes in the UK, his eyes were opened to the potential for people – both individuals and collectively – to make a difference. As an example of this, he recounted his emotional reaction to being in hospital as a child on day one of the NHS:
‘I was in the hospital the day the health service began. I was in Stockport Infirmary and in those days, when the consultant came around, the consultants were like gods, and you didn’t speak them unless they spoke to you first, and the whole entourage, consultant, hospital matron, doctors, and they looked at me and walked by, and I said, ‘Excuse me, I’ve got a question to ask’. And they spun out, ‘What is it?’ And I said, ‘Are we having a party?’ And they said, ‘What for?’ I said, ‘Well, the hospital’s ours today’. And there was a look of disapproval on one or two faces. And off they went. And the adults at the other end of the ward said, ‘Hey, Alf, what’s going on?’ I explained, this is a fantastic day, the hospital was ours. And I was very proud, in fact, to have been ill in the NHS on the day it all began.’
Chief Executive of Humanists UK, Andrew Copson, commented:
‘To have Alf, a living testament to the power of humanism and compassion, share his incredible story with us on What I Believe is an immense privilege. His personal journey, from a child refugee to a tireless champion for human rights, offers inspiration to us all.’
What I Believe is a podcast exploring the values, beliefs, and worldviews of non-religious people in the public eye. Previous guests include Sandi Toksvig, Tim Minchin, Alice Roberts, and Jim Al-Khalili. It is chaired by Humanists UK’s Chief Executive Andrew Copson.
Listeners are encouraged to tune in and subscribe to the podcast for a unique insight into the varied life stories and perspectives of humanists, whose view of life is shaped by reason, compassion, and evidence. What I Believe is available on all major podcast platforms, with new episodes released every Thursday.
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Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 130,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.