Westminster Holocaust Memorial to be pushed through as government vows to tackle antisemitism

A national Holocaust Memorial is set to be pushed through by the government following a surge in antisemitism in the UK since Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Proposals to build a Holocaust memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens were first made in January 2015.

However, the plan for construction on the central London site ran into difficulties over a 1900 law protecting the parkland.

On Tuesday, as part of the King’s Speech, it was confirmed the Holocaust Memorial Bill will return to the next session of Parliament.

Planning permission for the memorial to be built was granted in July 2021, but the decision was quashed by the High Court in April 2022 due to historic legislation that requires the garden to be maintained as open to the public.

The Bill, sponsored by the Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, will update the legislation removing the legal obstacle that previously prevented the building going ahead.

In his speech, King Charles III said: “My government is committed to tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten.

“A Bill will progress the construction of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens."

The Bill outlines that there is an increase in racism towards Jewish people when there is an escalation of violence in Israel and Palestinian Territories, and this has been "demonstrated by a huge rise in reported incidents following Hamas's attack on Israel".

The Save Victoria Tower Gardens Campaign supports the idea of a memorial but has argued that the park is the wrong location.

"We support the Government’s wish to memorialise the Holocaust, and to improve education around racism and anti-Semitism," the group has said.

"London’s precious parks should be preserved at all costs as untouched areas of greenery, to be enjoyed by the thousands of people who live or work nearby, or who come as visitors."

Prime minister Rishi Sunak previously said: “This important Bill brings us one step closer to delivering a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre at the heart of our democracy in Westminster, where it rightly belongs.

“The Memorial will honour the memory of those who were so cruelly murdered and preserve the testimonies of brave survivors so that future generations will never forget the horrors of the holocaust.

“As the remaining survivors become older and fewer in number, it is vital that we push ahead with the Memorial which is supported by all major political parties.”