West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has called for defiance against dictatorship and aggression 80 years on from the end of the Holocaust.

Dame Harriett this week signed a Book of Commitment in Westminster as part of commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, to remember victims of Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia. Commemorative events are being held around the country and will feature some of the last survivors’ testimonies.

The MP took this opportunity to reflect on the events of the Holocaust and she has urged leaders to stand up to violent and oppressive regimes abroad to avoid a repeat of the horrors of the Second World War.

Dame Harriett said:

“Holocaust Memorial Day presents an opportunity for us to remember the victims of the Holocaust and reflect on the misery of armed conflict. Seeing MPs of all parties coming together to sign the Book of Commitment every year is an important statement against prejudice and persecution.

“Eighty years on from those terrible atrocities, we are reminded of the brutal consequences of hatred and violence, most recently in the Middle East. The UK and its allies must continue to have a shared voice for freedom and democracy around the globe.”

Karen Pollock CBE, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said:

“The images and accounts that emerged at liberation gave rise to the enduring call 'Never Again.' This phrase embodies the hope that the Holocaust would serve as a stark warning to future generations.”