The Prime Minister has pledged to keep Holocaust education on the national curriculum “come what may”.

Speaking at the Holocaust Educational Trust’s annual dinner at Raffles London, which raised over £1m, Sir Keir Starmer told over 500 guests: “As you will all know, the Holocaust is on the curriculum at Key Stage 3 [ages 11 to 14], and there is currently a review of our national curriculum. But tonight, I am making two decisions in advance of that review. First, the Holocaust will remain on the curriculum come what may.

"And second, even schools who do not currently have to follow the national curriculum will have to teach the Holocaust when the new curriculum comes in. For the first time, studying the Holocaust will become a critical, vital part of every single student’s identity.”

Starmer paid tribute to the work of the “world-leading” Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), praising their work “supporting hundreds of survivors, training thousands of teachers and educating tens of thousands of our young people”.

He continued: “You do it with an energy and an urgency that is both inspiring and sadly, needed now more than ever.”

Sir Keir and Lady Victoria Starmer meet young HET ambassadors at the charity's annual dinner (Photo: the Holocaust Educational Trust)

The Labour leader, whose wife Victoria is Jewish, also said he would “not shy away from” tackling the surge in antisemitism in the UK since October 7. He said: “Every year, we say never again. Yet, on October 7, over a thousand people were massacred by Hamas for the very same reason: because they were Jewish.”

He went on: “We say never again, and yet, in the last year, we’ve seen record levels of antisemitism right here in Britain. Hatred marching on our streets. The pulse of fear beating in this community. Children afraid to wear their school uniforms. Students targeted on university campuses. All again, because they are Jewish … We will not be silent. We will not look the other way. We will call out antisemitism for what it is: hatred, pure and simple.”

Sir Keir Starmer chats to Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg BEM (Photo: the Holocaust Educational Trust)

Earlier this month, Starmer faced criticism from several Jewish communal figures over his decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel, which was described by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis – who was also present at the dinner – as one which “beggars belief”.

The prime minister chats to the chief rabbi (Photo: Holocaust Educational Trust)

The Prime Minister said he would do “everything possible” to help bring home the remaining hostages, some of whom are British, held in Gaza by terrorist group Hamas.

Starmer’s speech, in which he also reiterated the government’s pledge to “proudly” and “unapologetically” build the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre next to Parliament, received a standing ovation.

Other attendees at HET’s dinner included Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Home Secretary Yvettee Cooper, Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg, and Jewish broadcasters Emma Barnett, Natasha Kaplinsky, Rachel Riley and Rob Rinder.

HET Chief Executive Karen Pollock CBE told the assembled crowd: “Tonight we came together with over 500 supporters and reflected on the unprecedented challenges we face today – antisemitism at the highest level in a generation, the Holocaust moving from living memory and further into history and the disgusting denial and distortion of the past being seen day after day.”

(l-r) CEO of Holocaust Educational Trust, Karen Pollock, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, HET ambassador Zafran and chair of HET Craig Leviton (Photo: The Holocaust Educational Trust)

She continued: “These challenges have become even more urgent in the wake of the horrific October 7 terrorist attack in Israel – the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust” and praised Starmer for “clearly highlighting the central place that the Holocaust must continue to have in our national consciousness; and expressing the need for everyone to stand united in the fight against antisemitism.”