Clegg: I’ll renew funding for youngsters to visit Auschwitz if in Government

Nick Clegg has pledged to safeguard funding for the Holocaust Education Trust’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project until 2020 if he is part of the next Government.

The Lib Dem leader described the project – which ensures two students from every school and college can visit Auschwitz – as the “cornerstone” of Holocaust education in the UK and described the £9m budget over the five years as “worth every penny”. The programme also includes a seminar with Holocaust survivors.

Clegg – who himself joined students on such a visit in 2012 – became the first political leader to continue the Government finding throughout the next Parliament whilst hosting survivor Zigi Shipper at his office ahead of the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz this month.

He said: “The horrific events in Paris last week are a shocking reminder of what happens when warped ideologies and prejudice go unchecked.

“Remembering the Holocaust is not just a history lesson. It is one of the greatest antidotes we have to anti-Semitism and extremism of all kinds. Sadly there will be a time when there are no eyewitnesses left. This makes the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust even more important.”

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “The Deputy Prime Minister’s commitment for continued government funding for our Lessons from Auschwitz project is incredibly significant – he has seen first-hand the lasting impact that it has on participants and we are grateful for his ongoing support.”