Lords marks Holocaust Memorial Day 2025

Debate

Lord Khan of Burnley (Labour), Lords Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, put forward the debate.

This was a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.     

Members speaking 

Contributing members included:

• The Bishop of Lichfield, former chair of trustees for the Council of Christians and Jews
• Baroness Deech (Crossbench), former board member of the Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism
• Lord Dubs (Labour), Kindertransport evacuee prior to the Second World War
• Lord Katz (Labour), chair of the Jewish Labour Movement
• Lord Pickles (Conservative), co-chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation.

Opening the debate, Lord Khan of Burnley said:

'It is up to each of us, every one of us, to forcefully condemn any denial of the Holocaust. It is up to us to combat not only anti-Semitism but racism, bigotry and intolerance in all their forms, here and around the world.'

Lord Dubs said:

'On the words 'never again', what happened in Israel on 7 October was an appalling tragedy, and with some of the events in Gaza, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur and Syria—and what has happened to the Yazidis—I am afraid it seems that we as a world are not learning what we should.'

Lord Pickles added:

'Even in these challenging times, the UK continues to have an excellent reputation in the field of Holocaust remembrance, education and tackling anti-Semitism.'

Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour), Government Whip, responded on behalf of the government:

'This is our obligation: not simply to bear witness but to act. What does this mean today? It means confronting bigotry and hatred in all its forms. It has no place in the classrooms of children, on the campuses of our universities, in our hospitals or in the corridors of power. Nor does it have any place on the streets of the United Kingdom.'

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recording.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Explore background information

Find out more in the House of Lords Library briefing.

Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government.

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