Westminster Holocaust Memorial facing new delay of ‘five to six years’ MP warns

The building of a proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Westminster could be delayed again “for five to six years”, a senior Conservative MP has claimed.

Raising the decision of parliamentary examiners to classify the government’s Holocaust Memorial Bill as a “hybrid” one – meaning those objecting to its proposed location in Victoria Tower Gardens can again raise objections – Sir Peter Bottomley told the Commons on Thursday:”Under the present plans, assuming the bill gets through both Houses of Parliament, with or without amendments and probably with amendments, that Memorial cannot be completed for five to six years.”

Responding, Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt “the government is very keen to ensure that a memorial can be built in the swiftest time, precisely because we want remaining Holocaust survivors to be able to witness” a memorial built.

She said she welcomed his attempt at a “pragmatic” solution.

Noting that it is now nine years since the plan to build the memorial next to parliament in a garden, Bottomley, an outspoken opponent of  the proposal, also called for the Department for Levelling Up, and “those who lead the Holocaust Foundation” to be referred to parliament’s public administration committee after they claimed to “welcome” the announcement last week by examiners who confirmed the Memorial Bill was “hybrid.”

Bottomley noted that the government had previously “actually spent time trying to oppose the bill being classified as hybrid”.

After parliamentary examiners confirmed their decision last week, the department for levelling up issued a statement, which quoted  Michael Gove and Holocaust Foundation co-chairs Lord Pickles and Ed Balls, who appeared to welcome the classification of hybrid.

Father of the House Bottomley said he would suggest the government consider shelving the plan for the “big”  memorial in Victoria Gardens in favour of a “smaller more appropriate one either there, or in Parliament Square.”

He added the proposed Learning Centre “is well suited at the Imperial War Museum” and that they new plans she be assessed so that “Holocaust survivors may see a memorial in their life time.”

Leader of the Commons Mordaunt said her understanding was that the suggestion had already been “made and rejected” although she would make sure the secretary of state “has heard the suggestions today.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had earlier this year pledged to push the Holocaust Memorial Bill through the Commons to ensure its construction in Westminster.