Lord Pickles and Ed Balls defend Holocaust memorial at public inquiry
Lord Eric Pickles and Ed Balls stressed the need to press ahead with the £100m project next to Parliament in Victoria Tower Gardens
Tali is a reporter at Jewish News
Lord Eric Pickles and Ed Balls have restated their support for the planned Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Westminster.
Speaking at the public inquiry into the planning of the centre, the former MPs said that it was essential to create a memorial that would both boldly and prominently preserve the memory of the Holocaust.
Defending the location of the centre next to Parliament, the co-chairs of the Holocaust Memorial Foundation claimed its placement would provide a statement of the Holocaust’s national significance in Britain’s history.
They added that being able to see Parliament from the memorial will remind visitors of the far-reaching consequences political decisions have, encouraging greater reflection on the role of Parliament. Their evidence comes after terrorism expert Lord Carlile QC branded the plan to locate the memorial in Victoria Gardens as a “self-evident terrorism risk” and a “potential ‘trophy’ site”.
Commenting after his appearance to the inquiry, co-chair of the Holocaust Memorial Foundation Lord Eric Pickles said: “We are building a Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to Parliament to make sure we never forget the persecution and murder of the Jewish people of Europe and all other victims of Nazi persecution.”
Fellow co-chair Ed Balls added: “I believe a vital part of the Memorial is the Learning Centre, which will encourage reflection on the lessons of the past and help people to understand the Holocaust within the British narrative: historically, politically and culturally.
“Visitors to the Learning Centre will confront the immense human calamity caused by the destruction of Europe’s Jewish communities during the Holocaust. They will not only learn what happened, but how it came to pass – highlighting the gradual acceptance of hatred and the stages of prejudice that led to violence.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
