Chief Rabbi joins PM and communal leaders in welcoming Holocaust Memorial Bill’s Royal Assent

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has joined the Prime Minister and communal leaders in welcoming the news that the Holocaust Memorial Bill has received Royal Assent.

Passage of the Bill clears a significant hurdle in progressing plans for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, with final legal obstacles set to be removed.

The Bill, introduced in 2023 and reaffirmed in the government’s first King’s Speech, overturns historic legislation that had blocked construction in Victoria Tower Gardens.

With Royal Assent secured, planning permission can now be sought for the long-awaited national memorial.

The announcement comes as the UK prepares to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th, a time dedicated to remembering the six million Jewish men, women, and children murdered in the Holocaust.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis called the granting of Royal Assent “a significant and long-awaited moment for our country,” adding: “It reflects a clear commitment to remembrance and to ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten. This memorial and learning centre will stand in memory of the six million Jewish victims, and as a reminder of the responsibility we all carry to confront hatred, antisemitism and indifference wherever they appear.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We must do everything possible to advance Holocaust education while we still have survivors able to guide us, and I am pleased we are able to move one step closer to delivering this memorial.

“Having met survivors, heard their shattering and inspiring testimonies, and walked through Auschwitz myself, I know how vital it is that every generation has the chance to learn from their wisdom and courage. Their stories are proof of the light and hope that endures even after humanity’s darkest days.

“Located at the heart of our democracy, this memorial will help us remember where hatred and indifference can lead. It will strengthen our national commitment to challenge prejudice wherever it appears and to defend the values that unite us.

“This is how we make ‘never again’ not just a principle of remembrance, but a promise we uphold—a collective responsibility to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are neither forgotten nor ignored.”

The planned Learning Centre will use digital and audio-visual media to help visitors understand the history and consequences of the Holocaust, aiming to educate future generations long after survivors are gone.

For many survivors and their families, the project’s value lies not just in remembrance but in education.

Before his passing, Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg MBE described the Learning Centre as having “inestimable value” and being “as, if not more important, than the actual visible memorial.”

The memorial, designed by Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects, will feature bronze fins that visitors pass through, leading to an underground learning centre dedicated to education, remembrance, and understanding.

Victoria Tower Gardens will also be enhanced by landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman, with a gently sloping landscape offering new views of the River Thames and improved accessibility.

Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, welcomed the news, saying: “Over eighty years after the Holocaust, the passage of time has never felt more urgent.

“As we lose the precious survivors who have borne witness to the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis, the responsibility to remember now passes to the next generation.

“We have a duty to preserve their testimony so that future generations understand what happened during the Holocaust and where antisemitism and hatred can lead if left unchecked. Now that the Holocaust Memorial Bill has been granted Royal Assent, we can finally work towards making this Memorial and Learning Centre a reality.”

Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies, praised both the government and the “cross-party commitment to this effort,” calling it “truly humbling and a reminder of the fundamental decency of our country.”

Communities Secretary Steve Reed added: “I am delighted there has been such strong support for the Holocaust memorial. We are now closer to this vital project becoming a reality.

“But there is still work ahead. Until visitors are walking through the doors, it remains our collective responsibility to keep talking about the Holocaust, keep learning the lessons of history, and keep the precious memories of survivors alive.”

The Jewish Leadership Council added:”The construction of the new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens will permanently enshrine Holocaust remembrance at the heart of our democracy.

“We are pleased that the Holocaust Memorial Bill has passed all its Parliamentary stages. While there is still a long way to go before planning is granted and the memorial is constructed, this is a positive and essential step in that process.”