More than 150 MPs sign letter backing Westminster Holocaust memorial

More than 150 MPs have signed a letter in support of the proposal to build a Holocaust memorial outside Parliament, saying it will “stand as a testimony” to fighting hatred.

Politicians from across political spectrum have backed the National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, which is to be built in Victoria Tower Gardens, Westminster.

Their support comes after the Royal Parks, which looks after the gardens, criticised the planning application for the £100m project, which is being considered by Westminster Council.

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The charity hit out at the concept over “the impact it will have on a popular public amenity space in an area of the capital with few public parks”.

Written by co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Holocaust Memorial, MPs Ian Austin and Bob Blackman, the letter urges the council’s Planning Committee to back the application.

Signatories, numbering 171 MPs and peers, include from the Conservatives: Dominic Raab, Nicky Morgan and Robert Halfon, as well as Labour’s Emily Thornberry, Yvette Cooper, Barry Gardiner and Lord Dubs, as well as the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Green MP Caroline Lucas.

They say the memorial is necessary, “as the Holocaust moves from living memory into history” and as antisemitism rises in society, adding that Shoah “education and remembrance is ever more crucial.”

Adding they can “think of no better location” for the project, which is being led by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, the politicians, which also include members of the new Independent Group such as Luciana Berger and Mike Gapes, say it will allow people to “examine the Holocaust through British eyes and will be a permanent reminder of where hate can lead if left unchecked”.

The letter also urges the council’s backing because the learning centre will be in “an accessible location to people of all ages, and complimenting existing educational activity across the country”.

“Despite commitments to ‘Never Again’, we have witnessed genocide since the Holocaust, making the aim of education and awareness of the consequences of hate so important.”

“This Memorial and Learning Centre will stand as a testimony to the need for each one of us to stand up and tackle hatred, intolerance and injustice, wherever and whenever it is found.”

Architect Sir David Adjaye is leading the memorial’s design team alongside Ron Arad Architects as Memorial Architect, and Gustafson Porter + Bowman as Landscape Architect. The Holocaust Educational Trust is the secretariat for the APPG.

Signatories to the letter include: 

Ian Austin MP (Co-Chair)
Bob Blackman MP (Co-Chair)

Lucy Allan MP
Rushanara Ali MP
Sir David Amess MP
Mike Amesbury MP
Jonathan Ashworth MP
Adrian Bailey MP
Rt Hon Sir Kevin Barron MP
Guto Bebb MP
Luciana Berger MP
Rt Hon Ian Blackford MP
Peter Bone MP
Rt Hon Tom Brake MP
Suella Braverman MP
Lyn Brown MP
Chris Bryant MP
Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP
Karen Buck MP
Ruth Cadbury MP
Dr Lisa Cameron MP
Ronnie Campbell MP
Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael MP
Maria Caulfield MP
Alex Chalk MP
Colin Clark MP
Simon Clarke MP
James Cleverly MP
Rosie Cooper MP
Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
Robert Courts MP
Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP
Mary Creagh MP
Stella Creasy MP
John Cryer MP
Chris Davies MP
Geraint Davies MP
Gloria De Piero MP
Jonathan Djanogly MP
Steve Double MP
Stephen Doughty MP
Jack Dromey MP
Rosie Duffield MP
Maria Eagle MP
Dame Louise Ellman MP
Yvonne Fovargue MP
Rt Hon Mark Francois MP
James Frith MP
Rt Hon Sir Roger Gale MP
Mike Gapes MP
Barry Gardiner MP
Stephen Gethins MP
Zac Goldsmith MP
Helen Grant MP
Chris Green MP
Rt Hon Damian Green MP
Kate Green MP
Nia Griffith MP
Louise Haigh MP
Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP
Fabian Hamilton MP
Rt Hon David Hanson MP
Rt Hon Mark Harper MP
Helen Hayes MP
Gordon Henderson MP
Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge MP
Sharon Hodgson MP
John Howell MP
Nigel Huddleston MP
Eddie Hughes MP
Christine Jardine MP
Andrea Jenkyns MP
Diana Johnson MP
Graham Jones MP
Mike Kane MP
Liz Kendall MP
Stephen Kinnock MP
Peter Kyle MP
Ben Lake MP
Rt Hon David Lammy MP
John Lamont MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Ian C. Lucas MP
Emma Lewell-Buck MP
Holly Lynch MP
Ivan Lewis MP
Stephen Lloyd MP
Rebecca Long Bailey MP
Jack Lopresti MP
Jonathan Lord MP
Craig Mackinlay MP
John Mann MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Paul Masterton MP
Steve McCabe MP
Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP
Conor McGinn MP
Alison McGovern MP
Catherine McKinnell MP
Anna McMorrin MP
Stephen Metcalfe MP
Madeleine Moon MP
Damien Moore MP
Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP
Stephen Morgan MP
James Morris MP
Sheryll Murray MP
Neil O’Brien MP
Dr Matthew Offord MP
Melanie Onn MP
Guy Opperman MP
Ian Paisley MP
Neil Parish MP
Rt Hon Priti Patel MP
Stephanie Peacock MP
Rt Hon Sir Mike Penning MP
Andrew Percy MP
Lucy Powell MP
Chris Philp MP
Will Quince MP
Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP
Ellie Reeves MP
Rachel Reeves MP
Marie Rimmer MP
Douglas Ross MP
Rt Hon Joan Ryan MP
Paul Scully MP
Naz Shah MP
Paula Sherriff MP
Barry Sheerman MP
Tulip Siddiq MP
Ruth Smeeth MP
Royston Smith MP
Gareth Snell MP
Wes Streeting MP
Alex Sobel MP
Iain Stewart MP
Derek Thomas MP
Gareth Thomas MP
Ross Thomson MP
Rt Hon Emily Thornberry MP
Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP
Craig Tracey MP
Anna Turley MP
Stephen Twigg MP
Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP
Giles Watling MP
Martin Whitfield MP
Dr Paul Williams MP
John Woodcock MP
Daniel Zeichner MP

Rt Rev. Bishop of Peterborough
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Baroness Altmann CBE
Rt. Hon. Lord Dholakia PC, OBE, DL
Lord Dubs
Baroness Eaton DBE DL
Lord Finkelstein OBE
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Lord Gadhia
Rt Hon. Lord Goldsmith QC
Lord Kennedy of Southwark
Rt Hon. Lord Knight of Weymouth
Rt Hon. Lord Pickles
Lord Polak CBE
Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill
Lord Haworth
Baroness McGregor-Smith CBE
Lord Mendelsohn
Lord McInnes of Kilwinning CBE
Rt Hon. Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale
Rt Hon. Lord Rooker
Lord Shinkwin

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