Holocaust exhibition not displayed in Parliament because it is ‘too political’
31 January 2025, 13:40
A Holocaust exhibition was banned from Parliament after being deemed “too political,” according to a new report.
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The exhibition, which planned to detail the violence committed against Jews since Nazi Germany, was due to be shown in Westminster Hall.
But a committee advising Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said the exhibition failed to comply with Parliament’s political impartiality rules - despite the same space being used for a pro-Palestine display last year.
Lord Pickles, the Government’s special envoy on post-Holocaust issues, said Winston Churchill would be “appalled” by the decision.
Today is the last day of our hugely successful 'Vicious Circle' exhibition in Soho, London. We're open from 12:00 - 19:00, come and see it before it tours major cities in Europe. Tickets available https://t.co/1AoQHpS0zv
— The National Holocaust Centre and Museum (@HolocaustCentUK) January 28, 2025
'The Vicious Circle' invites you to witness the… pic.twitter.com/ugqtcEPUS7
“Considering the timing of it, that we have just commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camps put by Nazi Germany, I was frankly astounded,” he told The Times.
“It just seems to me that if you are going to ensure that the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign has something there, it’s not unreasonable to have a government-funded exhibition there.
“Dealing with the questions of antisemitism, I mean, after all, Westminster Hall is where Churchill laid in state. Westminster Hall is where he received many honours. There was perhaps no greater fighter against antisemitism than Churchill.
“He would be appalled by this decision.”
Marc Cave’s exhibition, titled The Vicious Circle, looks back on attacks against Jewish people in the wake of the Holocaust - including October 7.
He described the decision to block his display as “kind of dangerous.”
A parliamentary spokesman told The Times: “Requests for exhibitions in Westminster Hall are taken on a case-by-case basis, and many requests are made throughout the year.
“These are completely different to mass lobbies — signage is considered on a case-by-case basis for the sole purposes of directing individuals during a mass lobby.”
