FBU leader Steve Wright called for full engagement with the Together alliance against the far right at a Stand Up to Racism fringe meeting at the union’s conference on Wednesday night.

“We can’t outsource our anti-racist work — we need to lead on that as a union,” he said, saying the battle against the far right would be the biggest struggle “of our lifetimes.”

Together mobilised half a million on March 28 because it reached beyond existing anti-racist campaigns, uniting unions, faith groups and other organisations, he argued.

Acknowledging the support for Reform among some members, Mr Wright said the union could appeal to the values core to firefighting: “Firefighters don’t discriminate. When the call comes in, we help save every life.”

Reform would never stand with firefighters on a picket line or stick up for their pay and pensions, he stressed.

Attendees discussed how to challenge support for Reform in the workplace and how to give people confidence they could protest against the far right without putting themselves at risk.