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PM to mark 80 years since parliament learned of Holocaust

On 17 December 1942, Parliament spontaneously fell silent after Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden confirmed that the Jews of Europe were being exterminated

December 12, 2022 14:21
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to mark 80 years since Parliament first confirmed that the Holocaust was taking place as the House of Commons is set to fall silent in a poignant act of remembrance.

In a speech to the House of Commons on 17 December 1942, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden confirmed that the Jews of Europe were being exterminated by Nazi Germany, and in what was believed to have been a first for the House of Commons, the chamber spontaneously stood in silence in a deeply emotional moment.

On Thursday, 80 years later, House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle will lead a one-minute silence marking the occasion, and Holocaust survivors will be present in the Speakers Gallery.