In a message for HMD, Theresa May has pledged to do all in her power “to ensure we never forget where prejudice and hatred can lead”.

Signing the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Book of Commitment, the Prime Minister pointed out: “The new national memorial to the Holocaust will sit in the shadow of Parliament, alongside a world class learning centre. It will make a permanent statement of our promise to remember and our commitment to teach future generations to fight hatred in all its forms.

“By supporting the Holocaust Educational Trust, we will safeguard the memories of survivors and learn the lessons for generations to come.”

Some 400 politicians from all parties have signed the book, with Environment Secretary Michael Gove writing: “The Holocaust was a unique evil. We have a duty to remember its victims and ensure there is no place for prejudice in our hearts. Antisemitism is a virus which mutates over time and we must be constantly vigilant to ensure we fight this hatred with all our energy.” Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry wrote: “Throughout the world we must always challenge the development of an attitude of ‘the other’. There is no ‘other’, there is only us.”

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s message was that “human beings are not born to hate. Hate is not inevitable. And so we must never again permit the conditions to exist that allow it to flourish. Loving each other — respecting and cherishing our differences — is the essence of humanity. Let us never forget that — in our words or our deeds.”