Cameron defends Holocaust memorial location as ‘unapologetic national statement’

Lord David Cameron has defended the proposed location of a Holocaust memorial in central London as an “unapologetic national statement” amidst “growing” antisemitism.

Speaking in the Lords on Wednesday in his first contribution since stepping down as foreign secretary prior to the general election, Lord Cameron said there was “real power” at having the commemoration “at the heart of our democracy”.

The Holocaust Memorial Bill seeks to create a commemorative installation and a learning centre dedicated to the Second World War atrocity in Victoria Tower Gardens.

The location next to Parliament was recommended to the Government due to its “historical, emotional and political significance”.

The London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900 required the Grade II-listed land to be used as a public park.

The Holocaust Memorial Bill will both authorise expenditure on the construction, maintenance and operation of the memorial and learning centre, and also disapply sections of the 1900 Act, removing the legal obstacle that has prevented the project from going ahead.

An amendment to the Bill was tabled by cross-bench peer Baroness Ruth Lynn Deech, that raised concerns on the lack of consultation on the location, cost, and security concerns relating to the project.

Lord Cameron told peers that he knew many supported the “concept but not the location” of the memorial.

He said: “I’m afraid I think that it’s not just a good idea in spite of the location, it’s a good idea in part because of the location.

“We have a problem with antisemitism in this country. It’s growing. And what better way to deal with this than to have a bold, unapologetic national statement.

“This isn’t a Jewish statement or a community statement, it’s a national statement about how much we care about this and how we’re prepared to put that beyond doubt.”

He added: “To those who raise the issues of security, of course there’ll be issues with security, there’s issues of security with this parliament.

“But the very fact the issue of security is so great on this issue demonstrates why we need to do it so badly, and why actually locating this somewhere else because of security would be a surrender to those who don’t want to commemorate the Holocaust and don’t want to learn from it.”

As prime minister in 2013, Lord Cameron launched the Holocaust Commission to ensure Britain has a permanent memorial to the Holocaust and educational resources for future generations.

He said criticism of the plan was making him “feel like the father of a rather unloved child”.

Referring to the Holocaust commission, he said: “It was multi-faith. It had teams of experts. It had one of the biggest ever gatherings of Holocaust survivors, and of course it was thoroughly cross party, in fact anything that can bring together Ed Balls and Michael Gove is worthy of note.

“It was a genuine attempt to look at this. And it was clear, it didn’t say the existing memorials were sufficient. It didn’t say that the current state of Holocaust education was good enough. It didn’t say we could put this thing somewhere else in London.

“It said there’s a real power in bringing together the monument and the education and having it at the heart of our democracy. And I want to, ashamedly put my cards on the table and say I think this is the right idea in the right place, and indeed, at the right time.”

The former prime minister said the memorial should be a reminder of a “dreadful event in the past that we should try and learn from at the same time”.

He said: “The Holocaust was not just one of the defining moments of the 20th century where six million people lost their lives. It wasn’t just an event. It should be a permanent reminder of where prejudice and hatred leads us and what it can end in.

“So this is not just some monument to something that’s happened, it’s a permanent reminder and… I think it’s so important it’s co-located with our parliament.”

The former prime minister also recalled his experience visiting Auschwitz concentration camp, which he described as a “huge, mechanical industry of murder”.

Introducing her amendment Baroness Deech, said overriding existing protections to the park to allow the memorial to be built is a “an authoritarian and anti-democratic move”, that acted contrary to the Labour Government’s green policies.

Baroness Deech, whose father was born in Poland and fled the Nazi regime, also described the designs as a “bunch of sticks in the air” that have “no relevance to the Holocaust, the gardens or the UK”.

She further raised concerns on the cost, which she said are now estimated at ?138 million plus ?50 million contingency, as well as security concerns, that the memorial would be a “prime target from land and from the river”.

Her regret motion was later defeated by 99 votes to 49, majority 50.

The Holocaust Memorial Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons prior to the general election, received a second reading in the Lords and now goes to a select committee for further scrutiny.