DUDLEY MP Ian Austin has welcomed news that Holocaust hero Frank Foley is to be honoured with a statue funded by the government.

Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne made the announcement at an event at Portcullis House in London yesterday (Wednesday) organised by Ian Austin MP and the Holocaust Educational Trust to celebrate the life of the British spy who saved the lives of thousands of Jews.

The Chancellor told guests at the event the government would fund the £40,000 statue out of fines paid by bankers, adding: “It's right that we use penalties imposed on those who demonstrated the worst of British values to commemorate someone who demonstrated the best.

Dudley News:

‎"I want to thank Ian for bringing this campaign to my attention - and also for being a steadfast and articulate advocate for the cause of Holocaust commemoration."

Dubbed ‘the British Schindler’ - Major Foley worked undercover as a passport control officer in pre-war Nazi Berlin where he provided thousands of Jews with documents they needed to escape Germany by bending the rules when stamping passports or issuing visas.

He also hid Jews in his own home and even went into Sachsenhausen concentration camp with visas to enable prisoners to leave.

After his heroics – he settled in Stourbridge when he retired and lived at Eveson Road, Norton, until his death in 1958.

The Chancellor continued: “Ten thousand people – and all their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren – owe their lives to Major Frank Foley.‎ His story reminds us that even in the darkest times for humanity there are points of light.”

He said the government would work with Mr Austin and Stourbridge MP Margot James to fund the statue to commemorate the “extraordinary life and actions” of Major Foley.

Dudley News:

Labour MP Mr Austin, who has long campaigned for a statue to honour Foley’s heroism during the Holocaust, said: “I am absolutely delighted the Chancellor has agreed to fund a statue to Stourbridge hero Frank Foley so people can learn about him and our country’s role in fighting for freedom, democracy and tolerance against Nazi Germany.

“Frank Foley refused to stand by when people were being persecuted because of their race and religion and his heroism helped saved ten thousand people from the Holocaust.

“When other European countries were sending Jews to concentration camps, Britain provided a safe haven for tens of thousands of refugees. I think this period defines what it means to be British – our unique response to the Holocaust and role in the War gives us the right to claim a particular attachment to the values of democracy, equality, freedom, fairness and tolerance.”

Stourbridge MP Margot James said: “Frank Foley was a great British hero who saved thousands of lives from the horrors of the Holocaust. He represented the best of British values and I am delighted the Chancellor has announced funding for a statue in his honour to be placed in Stourbridge, where he spent his last years.

“I am very grateful to Ian Austin for leading this campaign, and look forward to working with him and Stourbridge residents to decide the best place for the statue to be built.”

The Mayor of Dudley, Councillor Steve Waltho, who represented the borough at the celebration of Foley’s life, described Major Foley as “one of Dudley borough’s greatest heroes” and he said: “I’m delighted with the announcement that the great man will be remembered with a new local statue.”

Yesterday’s event which was attended by descendants of people Foley saved and members of his family coincided with the publication of a new edition of "Frank Foley: The Spy Who Saved Ten Thousand Jews" by author Michael Smith who said: "It's wonderful news that the Chancellor has agreed to fund a statue of Foley in Stourbridge and a testament to all the hard work Ian Austin and his team have put in.

“I hope this will lead to many more people learning who Foley was. His work saving tens of thousands of Jews marks him out as a truly great man, someone of whom we as a nation should be very, very proud. Foley embodied the very best of British values and the fact that an incalculable number of people are alive today as a direct result of what he did is a very vivid demonstration that truth and good really can overcome evil."

Karen Pollock MBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Frank Foley was a true British hero. We value the incredible announcement of new funding and thank the chancellor for his continued commitment.

"The story of the Holocaust is one of loss and destruction - it is remarkable individuals such as Frank Foley who show that there were glimmers of light in the most desperate of times."