Holocaust Memorial one step closer as Bill receives Royal Assent

• Passage of the Bill clears a significant hurdle in progressing plans for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre 
• The memorial will honour the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust and preserve their story for generations to come 
• The Memorial and Learning Centre will sit next to Parliament, at the heart of national life 

A national Holocaust Memorial at the heart of British democracy moved a step closer today following cross-party support.

The Holocaust Memorial Bill received Royal Assent, helping pave the way for a memorial and learning centre in Victoria Tower Gardens. 

This marks a significant moment in the journey to create a national memorial to the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, ensuring its memory and lessons are preserved for generations to come. 

The passage also comes at a particularly pertinent time for Holocaust remembrance, with the 27th of January marking Holocaust Memorial Day which encourages everyone to remember the tragedy of the Holocaust and commit to learning from our history to create a brighter, more tolerant future.

Once built, the memorial will stand at the heart of our democracy – a permanent tribute to lives lost and a reminder of where hatred and indifference can lead. 

The Bill, first introduced in 2023, and recommitted to in this Government's first King's Speech, removes a legal blockage caused by historic legislation preventing construction in Victoria Tower Gardens, enabling planning permission to be sought.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

We must do everything possible to advance Holocaust education while we still have survivors able to guide us - and I am pleased we are able to move one step closer to delivering this memorial.

Having met survivors, heard their shattering and inspiring testimonies, and walked through Auschwitz myself, I know how vital it is that every generation has the chance to learn from their wisdom and courage. Their stories are proof of the light and hope that endures even after humanity's darkest days.

Located at the heart of our democracy, this memorial will help us remember where hatred and indifference can lead. It will strengthen our national commitment to challenge prejudice wherever it appears and to defend the values that bind us together.

This is how we make ‘never again' not just a principle of remembrance, but a promise we uphold - a collective responsibility to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are neither forgotten nor ignored.

The Learning Centre will encourage visitors to not only remember but deeply understand the history and impact of the Holocaust, using digital and audio-visual media to bring the facts to life for decades to come. 

For many survivors and their families, the project's value lies not just in collective remembrance but in education.  

Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg MBE spoke in support before his passing, describing the learning centre as having “inestimable value” and being “as, if not more important, than the actual visible memorial.” 

With antisemitism, Holocaust denial and distortion on the rise, this project is essential to preserving the testimony of survivors, ensuring future generations can understand firsthand one of the darkest periods in human history. 

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, said: 

With antisemitism spreading its hatred in our society, we need to hold the lessons of the Holocaust close and preserve the legacy of its victims for future generations. 

I am delighted there has been such strong support for the Holocaust memorial. We are now closer to this vital project becoming a reality. 

But there is still work ahead. Until visitors are walking through the doors, it remains our collective responsibility to keep talking about the Holocaust, keep learning the lessons of history, and keep the precious memories of survivors alive.

Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said:

The granting of Royal Assent to the Holocaust Memorial Bill is a significant and long‑awaited moment for our country.

It reflects a clear commitment to remembrance and to ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten.

This memorial and learning centre will stand in the memory of the six million Jewish women, men and children, and as a reminder of the responsibility we all carry to confront hatred, antisemitism and indifference wherever they appear.

The memorial, designed by Adjaye Associates and Ron Arad Architects, will feature bronze fins that visitors pass through, leading to a below-ground learning centre supporting education, remembrance and understanding of the Holocaust. 

Victoria Tower Gardens will also benefit from improvements by landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman, including a gently sloping landscape providing a new vantage point to the River Thames and making the gardens more accessible to all. 

Further information 

• Holocaust survivor, Manfred Goldberg MBE, was awarded a British Empire Medal for his services to Holocaust education in 2020. In June 2025, he was awarded an MBE by Charles III for his services to Holocaust remembrance and education shortly before his death in November 2025. 

On the planning application process: 

• Planning consent was awarded in 2021 but quashed by the High Court in April 2022, which found that the London County Council (Improvements) Act 1900 was an obstacle to building in Victoria Tower Gardens. 
• The Holocaust Memorial Bill removes this obstacle by providing that section 8 of the 1900 Act should not prevent construction or operation of the Memorial and Learning Centre. 
• The Bill, introduced in February 2023, received Royal Assent on 22 January 2026. 
• The planning application remains current. A new decision will be taken by a designated Minister, who remains isolated from the project to ensure fair, transparent and unbiased decision-making.