WARSAW, Poland — On Friday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the Auschwitz Nazi extermination camp in Poland, expressing profound anguish over the horrors witnessed there. This visit was part of his agenda, which included discussions with Polish leaders aimed at enhancing European defense and strengthening the United Kingdom’s relationship with the European Union.
Starmer’s poignant visit to the Auschwitz memorial took place in southern Poland, an area that experienced German occupation during World War II. Following a trip to Ukraine the previous day, he emphasized his commitment to combatting the rise of antisemitism, a concern that is growing within Jewish communities, including in the U.K.
Subsequently, he traveled to Warsaw to engage in talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk about reinforcing collaboration on European security and defense, as well as tackling illegal migration. Given Poland’s proximity to the conflict in Ukraine, security has taken center stage during its ongoing presidency of the European Union.
At a news conference following his discussions with Tusk, Starmer declared his resolve to enhance security cooperation both at a bilateral level and with the EU. He further elaborated on strategies to reinforce economic relations, notably the existing trade relationship valued at £30 billion, as well as joint efforts in energy security, climate initiatives, and migration cooperation. The aim was to dismantle the “vile gangs” responsible for human trafficking within Europe.
Tusk expressed his aspiration for “Breturn,” advocating for Britain’s closer ties with the 27-member EU. He mentioned that he has proposed to the European Council the idea of an informal summit between the EU and Britain to discuss future relations.
Both leaders affirmed their commitment to fostering strong transatlantic relationships with the United States, especially with President-elect Donald Trump poised to assume office soon, alongside Canada.
Earlier on Friday, Starmer issued a statement reflecting on his visit to Auschwitz, accompanied by his wife, Victoria, who is of Jewish heritage. He described the experience as utterly harrowing, remarking, “Nothing could prepare me for the sheer horror of what I have seen in this place. The mounds of hair, the shoes, the suitcases, the names and details, everything that was so meticulously kept, except for human life.”
This visit coincided with the upcoming 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation on January 27, 1945, a solemn event that will be attended by dignitaries including King Charles III, highlighting the dwindling survivor population of the Nazi atrocities.
Between 1940 and 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau witnessed approximately 1.1 million murders, predominantly of Jews, alongside Poles, Romas, Sinti, and Russian prisoners of war who perished in gas chambers or died from starvation, forced labor, and disease. The site has become emblematic of Germany’s brutal mass executions during its wartime occupation of Europe.
Starmer’s statement also addressed the surge in antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas on Israel, which ignited conflict in Gaza. He questioned, “Where is never again, when we see the poison of antisemitism rising around the world in the aftermath of October 7? Where is never again, when the pulse of fear is beating in our own Jewish community, as people are contemptibly targeted for being Jewish?”
Accompanying his wife, Starmer laid a wreath at the camp’s Execution Wall, honoring all its victims and lit a candle at a monument in Birkenau, where most of the Jewish population perished.
Under Starmer’s leadership since 2020, the centre-left Labour Party has faced scrutiny over allegations of antisemitism. A report from the U.K.’s equalities watchdog in 2020 criticized Labour for not effectively addressing antisemitism, accusing officials of “unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination.”
In response, Starmer committed to eradicating prejudice, aiming to repair the Labour Party’s relationship with Jewish communities. His predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, who rejected the report’s findings and remains barred from representing Labour in the next election, currently serves as an independent member in Parliament.
According to the Community Security Trust, a Jewish safety organization in the U.K., instances of antisemitism have surged, with 1,978 reported incidents logged in the first half of 2024, marking a 105% increase as compared to the same period in 2023.
