Holocaust education funding will be protected for the next five years if the Liberal Democrats return to government after the election, Nick Clegg has promised.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the £9 million budget for the Holocaust Education Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz programme would continue to 2020.

He is the first party leader to make the pledge. Mr Clegg said the project was the “cornerstone” of Shoah education in Britain.

Speaking alongside Auschwitz survivor Zigi Shipper, Mr Clegg said today: “The horrific events in Paris last week are a shocking reminder of what happens when warped ideologies and prejudice go unchecked.

“Remembering the Holocaust is not just a history lesson. It is one of the greatest antidotes we have to antisemitism and extremism of all kinds.

“Sadly there will be a time when there are no eyewitnesses left. This makes the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust even more important.”

Pupils from every school and college in the country visit the former Nazi death camp as part of the project, which has been running for 16 years.

Mr Clegg travelled to Auschwitz alongside 200 students in 2012 on HET’s 100th trip to the camp.

HET chief executive Karen Pollock said: “The Deputy Prime Minister’s commitment for continued government funding for our Lessons from Auschwitz project is incredibly significant.

“He has seen first-hand the lasting impact that it has on participants and we are grateful for his ongoing support.”