January 2022

On Holocaust Memorial Day, I was joined by students from Elthorne Park High School, Featherstone High School, Villiers High School and Ayesha Siddiqa Girls School for an online ceremony to commemorate the 17 million people tragically murdered in the Holocaust by the Nazi regime, including 6 million Jewish people, alongside victims of other genocides. 

We were joined by Hope Not Hate, an anti-hate advocacy group, to discuss the important lessons we can learn going forward to challenge all forms of hatred, discrimination and injustice. Students made pledges on their role in the fight against racism, discrimination and injustice.  Many students suggested social media as a powerful tool to share stories of suffering and a useful way to call for action. One student importantly pledged to treat every person, no matter their background or appearance, with dignity and respect.  

By calling out discrimination and combatting acts of bias and biased attitudes, we can work together to build a better future within our own community and around the world. 

As I have in previous years, I also pledged in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment in Parliament,  

“We remember the six million Jewish people, and millions more since around the world, murdered by hatred. 

We remember the Holocaust so it cannot happen again, and may we act swiftly and angrily when we see prejudice and persecution on any scale.”